FEATURE: Five Actresses Who Could Play Mary Jane In THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN Sequel

Marvel may have wiped the marriage of Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson out of comic book continuity, but MJ is still one of the most important characters in the Spider-Man mythos. With Marc Webb's The Amazing Spider-Man putting the focus on Peter's relationship with Gwen Stacy (and hints aplenty from the director and producers that we will see hear death in a future instalment of the rebooted franchise), it could be argued that there's no real need to introduce MJ. However, wouldn't it be a lot more interesting if the cast was fleshed out with the likes of her and Harry Osborn?! And c'mon, how great would it be to see the, "Face It Tiger, You Just Hit The Jackpot!" scene on the big screen? Well, here are five actresses who I believe would be well worth considering for the role...

5. MARY ELIZABETH WINSTEAD


Mary Elizabeth Winstead's name was brought up more than once while Sony Pictures were seemingly searching for The Amazing Spider-Man's Mary Jane Watson, and she's a fan favourite for the role with comic book fans. But does the fact that her name crops up in just about every fan cast out there really make her right for the role? Well, that's irrelevant, because she's a very talented actress who has impressed in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, The Thing and even the abysmal Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. However, whether the 27-year-old could be taken seriously as a high school student is another thing altogether...

4. DIANNA AGRON


Whoa, don't let the fact that she's in the difficult-to-sit-through Glee put you off! Dianna Agron is actually a fairly impressive presence on-screen, and roles in I Am Number Four and Heroes have shown that there's more to her than infrequent bursts of singing. Admittedly, the blonde actresss looks more like Liz Allen or Gwen Stacy than Mary Jane (bear in mind that people said the same thing about redhead Emma Stone before seeing The Amazing Spider-Man) but she's done enough to prove that this role might be perfect for her in the universe created by Marc Webb.

3. LYNDSY FONSECA


The stunning Lyndsey Fonseca has shown a wide range of acting skills in everything from comedy fare like Hot Tub Time Machine and How I Met Your Mother, to small screen action with Nikita. She's also well-versed in the comic book genre after playing 'Katie Deauxma' in 2010's Kick-Ass (and presumably the sequel too), and when you think back to the roles mentioned above, there can surely be no doubting the fact that she could deliver a very convincing Mary Jane Watson (and like most of the actresses on this list, it's also not exactly difficult to imagine her becoming a model as MJ later did in the comic books).

2. IMOGEN POOTS


Poots didn't really come to the attention of most moviegoers until she delivered a fantastic performance in last year's criminally underrated Fright Night remake. The actress now has a packed-out schedule (although nothing relevant to the films we cover here on CBM) and is sure to continue building her fanbase over the next couple of years. On the surface, it appeared that her character in the film mentioned above was little more than your stereotypical high school cheerleader type, but Poots performance was far more layered and interesting. It seems fair to say that her Mary Jane would easily catch the eye of Peter Parker.

1. JANE LEVY


She doesn't quite have as big a résumé as some of the other actresses on this list, but 22-year-old actress Jane Levy is considered to be one of the best breakout stars of 2011 for good reason. As 'Tessa' in ABC's Suburgatory, the actress has shown a great deal of talent which eventually landed her the lead role in Fede Alvarez's The Evil Dead remake. Levy has experience of playing a high school student (albeit a radically different one than the Mary Jane Watson from the comic books) but it's hard to imagine the redhead having any issues with convincingly bringing the character to life on the big screen.

The Amazing Spider-Man is the story of Peter Parker (Garfield), an outcast high schooler who was abandoned by his parents as a boy, leaving him to be raised by his Uncle Ben (Sheen) and Aunt May (Field). Like most teenagers, Peter is trying to figure out who he is and how he got to be the person he is today. Peter is also finding his way with his first high school crush, Gwen Stacy (Stone), and together, they struggle with love, commitment, and secrets. As Peter discovers a mysterious briefcase that belonged to his father, he begins a quest to understand his parents' disappearance - leading him directly to Oscorp and the lab of Dr Curt Connors (Ifans), his father's former partner. As Spider-Man is set on a collision course with Connors' alter-ego, The Lizard, Peter will make life-altering choices to use his powers and shape his destiny to become a hero.