Shailene Woodley reveals her Mary Jane scenes were cut from The Amazing Spider-Man 2
Actress Shailene Woodley said she learned a year after filming that her three scenes as Mary Jane Watson with Andrew Garfield were removed from the sequel, citing storyline changes involving Gwen Stacy.
Actress Shailene Woodley disclosed that the three scenes she filmed as Mary Jane Watson for Marc Webb’s sequel to The Amazing Spider-Man were omitted during post-production. Woodley, who was cast without an audition after meeting the director, learned of the cut about a year after shooting, when the studio informed her that the film would focus on the relationship between Gwen Stacy and Peter Parker and that Mary Jane would be introduced later.
"We’ve introduced a lot of new characters in this last one, and we’re going to wait for whatever happens between Emma Stone’s Gwen Stacy and Garfield’s Peter Parker," Woodley said, recalling the explanation given by the filmmakers.
The decision, according to Woodley, was driven by concerns that adding another love interest before Gwen Stacy’s death in the 2014 sequel could confuse audiences. She added that the plan to introduce Mary Jane after Gwen’s death never materialized.
Woodley, known for roles in “Big Little Lies” and “Divergent,” said she accepted the outcome, noting that she could not know whether her performance was a factor in the cut. The original live-action Mary Jane was portrayed by Kirsten Dunst in the early 2000s films, while the recent Spider-Man series features Zendaya as a character inspired by the role.