The next Spider-Man film will bring the wall-crawler back to the big screen after Tom Holland makes his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut as Peter Parker in Captain America: Civil War. Now Sony and Marvel Studios are gearing up for production, and they have cast singer and actress Zendaya in the Spider-Man reboot as “Michelle,” Nerdist has learned.
The report originated at Deadline, which added that Michelle has “a key role in the ensemble,†and it cast doubt on whether Zendaya’s character would be the romantic lead opposite Holland’s Peter Parker.
It would actually be refreshing if Peter Parker had a high school girlfriend who wasn’t Gwen Stacy or Mary Jane Watson. It would also be a bold choice to cast Zendaya as either one of Peter’s great loves. The original Spider-Man stories from the early sixties lacked diversity, but there could also be a very vocal segment fans against placing Zendaya as either MJ or Gwen, especially given the reaction to Michael B. Jordan’s casting as Johnny Storm in Fantastic Four.
There is a Michelle in Spider-Man’s recent comic book history, though. Michelle Gonzales was Peter’s temporary roommate and love interest when Michelle’s brother, Vin, went to jail for his part in an anti-Spider-Man murder conspiracy. Peter and Michelle didn’t go to high school together, but neither did Peter and MJ, and that didn’t stop Sony from making that change for the first Spider-Man film.
Another possibility is that Michelle could take the place of one of the other women in young Peter Parker’s life: Betty Brant and Liz Allen, both of whom had family members who were criminals. Or perhaps Michelle is truly an original character who will be unique to this take on Spidey.
To talk about what this could mean for the franchise, join Dan Casey on today’s episode of Nerdist News as we attempt to unravel the mysterious role of “Michelle” and Zendaya’s casting.
Spider-Man will swing into theaters on July 7, 2017.
How will Zendaya’s Michelle interact with Peter Parker in Spider-Man? Compile your theories and let’s discuss in the comments below!
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HT: Deadline
Image Credit:Â Disney Channel
