Spider-Man: No Way Home Screenwriters Confirm Removal of Three Major Characters

The blockbuster hit Spider-Man: No Way Home had initially planned to include three beloved characters from previous Spider-Man movies, but they were ultimately left out.

In this highly anticipated film, we witnessed the convergence of three different Spider-Man iterations from alternate realities, featuring Tom Holland, Tobey Maguire, and Andrew Garfield. However, screenwriters Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers, as revealed in the book "MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios," disclosed that Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst) and Aunt May (Sally Field) from Maguire's Spider-Man trilogy, along with Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone) from Garfield's The Amazing Spider-Man films, were initially part of the script. Their involvement was intended to be a thrilling nod to the Spider-Man legacy.

As the creative process evolved, the writers concluded that the abundance of character cameos was overshadowing the primary narrative. Consequently, Mary Jane, Aunt May, and Gwen Stacy were removed from the final screenplay, and the focus was redirected to the characters with substantial screen time, specifically Marisa Tomei's Aunt May and Zendaya's MJ.

The decision to omit these beloved characters from the film was made to prioritize the story's cohesiveness and prevent it from becoming overly cluttered with cameos. The constantly changing script made it challenging for the actors to have a locked script, but their trust in Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, Producer Amy Pascal, and director Jon Watts guided their involvement in the project.

Emma Stone and Kirsten Dunst, who had been subject to rumors regarding their appearances, clarified their non-involvement with the film. Stone remarked, "I have heard those rumors... I don't know if I'm supposed to say anything, but I'm not [involved]. I don't know what you're supposed to respond as an alumnus." Dunst similarly addressed the speculations, quipping, "I'm not in that movie, no [laughs]. I know there's rumors, right?... No, I'm the only one [not in it]."

Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige also addressed the absence of these characters after the release of No Way Home. He emphasized that the paramount focus was the film's narrative and that excessive cameos would have diluted the central plot. "When people see the movie, they will understand," Feige stated in 2021. "It's about the story... That's the reason there's not another 20 people in the movie."