Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been a doozy so far. This is especially true for the most recent movie release, Spider-Man: No Way Home, which was a record-breaking success and a huge crossover event. It also marked actress Zendaya’s third time playing MJ. And Zendaya recently revealed the one thing she has to ask Spider-Man director Jon Watts regarding her character that she never has to do for Euphoria’s Rue.
While she’s still rather young, Zendaya has already had an insanely successful career, including a recent Emmy win for her role in HBO’s Euphoria. Marvel fans have really responded to her take on MJ, but it turns out that jumping back into her Spider-Man character can sometimes be difficult. She recently explained how her TV character Rue stays with her, and the difference between playing MJ. She said,
She lives in me in a weird way. I don’t have to go searching for her. Even with the Spider-Man movies, I’ll talk to the director and ask, ‘Is that MJ-y enough?’ I try to find it again. With Rue, she’s just there.
Well, there you have it. While Zendaya has been playing MJ for arguably longer than the Euphoria protagonist, the latter character is easier for her to inhabit. Although given the intense emotional work the singer-actress has had to do as Rue, this makes a great deal of sense. Season 2 showed her putting her full body and soul through the ringer. Could there be a second Emmy brewing?
Zendaya shared this information about her process during an interview with The Cut alongside her Euphoria co-stars. The acclaimed HBO series recently ended its second season, and has become a massive sensation. Between that and Spider-Man: No Way Home’s performance, it’s definitely a good time to be a Zendaya fan.
While audiences and critics alike have responded to the MCU’s take on MJ in projects like Spider-Man: No Way Home, it sounds like Zendaya can sometimes have a hard time finding her signature character again. That’s when director Jon Watts comes in, who is seemingly able to help point her in the right direction. That collaboration has paid off for the last three movies, and there’s no telling where MJ could go in the future.
The ending of Spider-Man: No Way Home packed a punch, with Doctor Strange’s spell wiping Peter Parker from the entire universe’s memories. This includes MJ and Ned, leaving Tom Holland’s character on his own as a vigilante. While Sony has plans for three more movies, fans are totally in the dark about the franchise’s future. Hopefully we’ll see Zendaya return to the MCU sooner rather than later.
The next installment in the MCU is Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness on May 6th. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
