Shailene Woodley reveals she filmed Mary Jane scenes for The Amazing Spider-Man 2 before learning a year later that the role had been cut.
September 1, 2026
Woodley Thought Mary Jane Was a Dream Role
Shailene Woodley is finally sharing more about one of the strangest turns in her career: being cast as Mary Jane Watson in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, filming scenes with Andrew Garfield, and then discovering that none of her work would appear in the finished movie. During a recent career retrospective with the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, Woodley explained that she did not learn her role had been removed until roughly a year after she had completed filming.
The casting had been especially meaningful to Woodley because she grew up loving Spider-Man and considered Mary Jane her favorite character. She recalled being thrilled when she landed the part, describing it as a dream opportunity before the franchise took an unexpected turn.
Credit: Shutterstock
She Filmed Three Scenes With Andrew Garfield
Woodley said she filmed around three scenes opposite Garfield, who played Peter Parker in Marc Webb’s rebooted Spider-Man series. At the time, she expected the material to appear in the 2014 sequel and understood that Mary Jane was being positioned as a future part of Peter’s story.
That expectation changed when she received a phone call about a year later telling her she was no longer in the movie. Woodley joked about the awkwardness of learning the news long after filming, referring to it as “a fun phone call” while reflecting on how unusual the situation was.
The Filmmakers Wanted to Focus on Gwen
According to Woodley, the explanation she received was that the movie had introduced a large number of new characters and that the filmmakers wanted to stay focused on Peter’s relationship with Gwen Stacy, played by Emma Stone. Introducing another potential love interest at that point was considered something that could complicate the story.
Director Marc Webb had previously offered a similar explanation when Woodley’s casting was first discussed. He said the decision to cut the scenes was made in part to streamline the movie, while confirming that Mary Jane had been intended for a later chapter of the franchise.
Mary Jane Was Meant for a Future Sequel
Woodley’s removal from The Amazing Spider-Man 2 did not originally mean the character was being abandoned altogether. The plan, as Woodley understood it, was to introduce Mary Jane in a later installment after the story involving Peter and Gwen had reached its conclusion.
That proposed continuation never happened. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 was followed by plans for a third film, but Sony ultimately moved away from the franchise after the sequel underperformed relative to expectations. As a result, Woodley never got another opportunity to play the character.
Gwen Stacy’s Death Changed the Equation
The timing of Woodley’s intended introduction is particularly important because Gwen Stacy dies at the end of The Amazing Spider-Man 2. The filmmakers had apparently been considering Mary Jane as part of Peter’s next chapter, but Woodley said the studio wanted to wait before introducing another romantic relationship so soon after Gwen’s death.
That decision ultimately became irrelevant when the planned sequel was scrapped. What was once supposed to be a delayed introduction became a completely unused performance, leaving Woodley’s version of Mary Jane as one of the franchise’s biggest unanswered “what ifs.”
Woodley Takes a Humorous View Now
More than a decade later, Woodley does not appear to be holding a grudge over the decision. During her SAG-AFTRA Foundation conversation, she even joked that the explanation she was given may not have been the complete story, adding that perhaps the filmmakers simply thought she was not right for the part.
Her comment adds some perspective to an experience that could easily have been frustrating. Rather than insisting she knows exactly what happened behind the scenes, Woodley acknowledged that actors are often not given every detail when creative decisions change during production.
Mary Jane Was Never Seen on Screen
The unusual part of the story is that Woodley was not merely announced and then recast. She actually filmed the role. Photographs from the production showed her in costume as Mary Jane, and the actress later confirmed that she had completed multiple scenes with Garfield before the material was removed.
That means there is technically a filmed version of Woodley’s Mary Jane somewhere, although the actress indicated that fans should not expect those scenes to suddenly appear. The footage has remained outside the released film, making it one of those pieces of franchise history that exists largely through behind-the-scenes reports and photographs.
The Amazing Spider-Man Series Took a Different Path
The first Amazing Spider-Man film arrived in 2012, with Garfield taking over the role of Peter Parker and Stone playing Gwen Stacy. The 2014 sequel expanded the cast and mythology, but its mixed reception ultimately contributed to Sony changing direction with the character.
The studio eventually partnered with Marvel Studios on a new Spider-Man series starring Tom Holland. That reboot introduced another version of MJ, played by Zendaya, while Garfield’s Peter Parker remained separate until the multiverse storyline of Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Garfield Eventually Returned as Spider-Man
Garfield’s Spider-Man story received an unexpected continuation in 2021, when he reprised the role in No Way Home. The film brought Garfield together with Holland and Tobey Maguire, creating a multiverse crossover that allowed the actor to revisit a version of Peter Parker audiences had not seen in years.
Woodley’s Mary Jane, however, was not part of that return. Her character remained tied to the abandoned timeline of the earlier films, even as Garfield’s version of Spider-Man found a new place in the wider franchise.
Why Fans Still Remember the Casting
Casting Woodley as Mary Jane had generated plenty of interest because the character is so closely associated with Spider-Man history. Kirsten Dunst had previously played Mary Jane in Sam Raimi’s trilogy, making Woodley’s planned appearance a clear sign that the reboot was preparing to explore a different version of Peter’s romantic life.
Instead, the franchise ended before audiences could see what that version would have looked like. The fact that Woodley remains willing to discuss the experience has only added to the curiosity surrounding the lost footage.
View this post on Instagram
The Role Became a Hollywood “What If”
Actors being cut from completed movies is not unusual, particularly on large productions where storylines can change significantly during editing. Woodley’s case is more intriguing because Mary Jane was such an important comic-book character and because the role appears to have been planned as part of a larger franchise arc.
The story also shows how little control performers sometimes have over the final version of a project. Woodley did everything expected of her, filmed the scenes, and prepared to continue the role, only to have the character removed before audiences ever saw her.
Final Thoughts
Shailene Woodley’s Mary Jane remains one of the most fascinating unrealized roles in the modern Spider-Man franchise. She was cast for The Amazing Spider-Man 2, filmed approximately three scenes with Andrew Garfield, and was later told that the character had been removed so the story could remain focused on Peter and Gwen.
The planned third film could have finally introduced her Mary Jane, but that movie never materialized. More than a decade later, Woodley can laugh about the experience, while fans are left with a memorable glimpse of a Spider-Man storyline that never made it to the screen.
FAQs
Why was Shailene Woodley cut from The Amazing Spider-Man 2?
Woodley said she was told that the filmmakers wanted to focus on Peter Parker’s relationship with Gwen Stacy and felt the movie had already introduced too many new characters.
Did Shailene Woodley actually film scenes as Mary Jane?
Yes. Woodley said she filmed approximately three scenes with Andrew Garfield before learning that her role had been removed from the movie.
Was Mary Jane supposed to appear in The Amazing Spider-Man 3?
Yes. The plan was reportedly to introduce Mary Jane in a later installment after Peter and Gwen’s storyline had progressed, but the third movie was never made.
Did Shailene Woodley ever appear as Mary Jane?
No. Although she filmed the role, none of her scenes appeared in the released version of The Amazing Spider-Man 2.
Did Andrew Garfield return as Spider-Man after The Amazing Spider-Man 2?
Yes. Garfield returned as Peter Parker in 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home, alongside Tom Holland and Tobey Maguire.
Published by HOLR Magazine