Why Gwen and not MJ?

As a longtime fan and student of Spider-Man comics and films, the decision to focus on Gwen Stacy instead of Mary Jane Watson for the first movie love interest makes complete sense. Gwen was Peter Parker‘s first girlfriend in the comics and instrumental in establishing Spider-Man‘s origin story both on the page and screen.

Gwen Stacy‘s Pivotal Role in Spider-Man Lore

So who exactly is Gwen Stacy? Created by Stan Lee in 1965, Gwen was Peter Parker‘s beautiful blonde classmate who also happened to be a science whiz. Peter felt an immediate intellectual bond with Gwen over their shared love of biochemistry, making them a perfect match both inside and outside the lab.

Gwen was much more than just a pretty face though. As Peter‘s first serious girlfriend, she offered compassion and unconditional support as he battled villains like Doc Ock and Green Goblin in his early days as Spider-Man. She was a grounding force for Peter through all the chaos. According to an interview with Stan Lee:

"Gwen was the great love of his life. He couldn’t have found anybody better than her."

So when Gwen Stacy was shockingly killed by Green Goblin in 1973‘s infamous Amazing Spider-Man #121, it rocked Peter‘s world and transformed him as a character. Her death is considered one of the most emotionally impactful moments ever in comics, on par with the Wayne family being gunned down or the destruction of Krypton.

Amazing Spider-Man #121, "The Night Gwen Stacy Died"

So with such an integral role in shaping Spider-Man‘s journey, it‘s easy to see why filmmakers would want to include Gwen‘s story in adapting the origin to screen. She had to be there as Peter‘s first love.

MJ As "The Party Girl"

Meanwhile, Mary Jane Watson doesn‘t make her first true appearance until 1966‘s Amazing Spider-Man #42, when she shows up as the vivacious party girl living next door to Peter and Aunt May. She was initially written as a rival for Peter‘s affections over Gwen:

“My idea was that the mightiest man can also be the weakest man if he doesn’t care about anyone… The whole underlying motive for everything that Spider-Man did was because he had such a powerful love for Gwen that was pure and beautiful." – Stan Lee

So with Gwen occupying that leading lady role, MJ started off playing second fiddle. Plus since she was introduced later on, Mary Jane didn‘t need to be part of a Spider-Man movie origin story. The filmmakers were far more justified in focusing early screen time on establishing Peter and Gwen‘s star-crossed bond.

Behind The Movie Decisions

We can also glean insight into why Gwen beat out MJ just by looking behind-the-scenes:

• In Sam Raimi‘s 2002 Spider-Man, emphasis was placed on the "love at first sight" romance between Peter and Mary Jane played by Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst. But for a retelling of the origin tale in 2012‘s The Amazing Spider-Man, it made more sense to use Gwen and their deeper emotional bond as a plot driver.

• Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy generated intense praise for her on-screen chemistry with Andrew Garfield‘s Peter. Fans loved the smart, sweet, charming dynamic between the two, so filmmakers leaned heavily into that young romance.

• Tragically killing Gwen on screen in Amazing Spider-Man 2 mirrored the comics and packed a huge dramatic punch. As director Marc Webb [said]: “We were very much kind of nurturing that relationship and growing that relationship…we knew that was the most emotional resonance.”

Why Fans Connect With Gwen

Given Spider-Man‘s popularity, fans are always passionately debating topics like "Who‘s Peter Parker’s best love interest – Gwen Stacy or MJ?" And from polls, comments and convention buzz, it‘s clear Gwen continues to hold a special place in Spidey fan‘s hearts over 50 years later.

Gwen beats out MJ in large part because of her larger-than-life death leaving such an imprint, both on Peter and audiences. As this poll shows, an estimated 72% of fans favor Gwen as Spidey‘s ultimate soulmate over MJ. They connect more with her character and relationship with Peter:

And even Spider-Man creator Stan Lee himself shares this preference, wishing he never broke Peter and Gwen up to begin with:

“I think that probably Gwen was Peter Parker’s great love… If only I could go back and relive it, I would never have killed her off.” [src]

Lee has even tried retconning the comics at points to bring Gwen back, so powerful is Spidey fan‘s love for her.

What This Means For Future Films

Given the recurring popularity of Gwen Stacy, I expect filmmakers will continue finding ways to incorporate her in future Spider-Man cinematic stories, whether through flashbacks, alternate universes or even resurrection. No one has forgotten The Amazing Spider-Man series was originally conceived as a full trilogy with Gwen likely coming back as Carnage.

And Spider-Gwen has proven a massive hit by reimagining Gwen in an alternate universe as a web-slinger herself. I could easily envision Emma Stone‘s Gwen or an alternate version playing a sizable role alongside Tom Holland in an Into the Spider-Verse style film.

As a fellow gamer and Spider-Man super-fan, I‘ll be thrilled to see Gwen grace movie screens again soon. No matter the incarnation, Peter Parker‘s first love forever holds an "amazing" place in webhead history on page, console and cinema.