With the digital home-release of the MCU's billion dollar-earning Spider-Man: Far From Home, there's plenty of detail hunting to do. Peter Parker's newfound love interest Michelle, otherwise known as MJ, earned herself a more major role in the second Spider-Man film. The new take on Spider-Man's crush is a refreshing one, as the MCU's MJ is a literature-obsessed, observant introvert with a clear interest in the web-slinger.
With plenty of more screen-time in Far From Home, Zendaya's character is filled with hidden details and Easter eggs that build on the character itself as well as reference the famous love interests of past Spider-Man films. Here are 10 small details you may have missed about MJ in your first experience with Spider-Man: Far From Home.
10 She's Bilingual
As Peter and his class enjoy their European vacation, there are plenty of times where MJ shows she's skilled and partly-fluent in foreign languages. First, she corrects Mr. Harrington's "Vamanos" for "Andiamo", the Italian translation for "Here we go".
After the first elemental attack, where the students are watching the footage of Mysterio, she's able to translate the Italian news as calling him "Uomo di Misterio" or man of mystery. Although these instances are minuscule and quick, they do add a bit of depth to the otherwise mysterious MJ.
9 Tiger Sweatshirt
As Peter and his classmates get off the bus in Prague, you can see MJ is wearing a black sweatshirt with a white tiger logo on the front. Although this might not really mean anything at first, or even second, glance, it does indirectly give a nod to the MJ of the past. In Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 2, Mary Jane Watson tells Peter the very memorable, "go get 'em, tiger". Even though this might not have been an intentional move by Jon Watts and the Far From Home team, it was a very subtle reference to Mary Jane of the famous Raimi trilogy.
8 Her Background
Through the majority of Spider-Man: Homecoming and Spider-Man: Far From Home, little is known about MJ. We don't know anything about her family, her life before Midtown Tech, or really anything else. That remains strangely similar in the MCU's second Spidey movie.
Even when the class returns from their Europe trip to their families, MJ seemingly disappears without being greeted by anyone. Perhaps in the future Tom Holland Spider-Man films, more will be revealed about MJ's life, but for now, she remains as mysterious as any character.
7 Joan Of Arc
In the film's final scene, we see Spider-Man swinging through New York City, eventually meeting MJ to take her on her first swing. In that scene, she's rocking a very noticeable t-shirt of the infamous Joan of Arc. This could very easily be a small reference to last year's Met Gala runway, in which the MJ actress Zendaya embodied the French heroine with a stunning outfit.
6 Part Of The Illusion
When Spider-Man is taking on a gut-wrenching Mysterio trip, we see the villain dangling what appears to be the real MJ over the edge of a building. Although it turns out to just be another illusion, it does resemble the fate of another famous Peter Parker love interest. Gwen Stacy has met her demise across different interpretations in the midst of Spider-Man fights. Again, this might have not been intentional, but it was still a perfect nod at the Stacy character who is all but nonexistent in the MCU.
5 Chemistry With Peter
One of the major critiques of the MJ-Peter love interest is that there wasn't enough buildup or chemistry between the two. Although we obviously know about Peter's crush on MJ, she actually reciprocates a lot of those feelings.
Between the quick glances and awkward conversations, such as the one about Paris in the Venice hotel, Peter and MJ have a ton of chemistry, making perfect sense as to why they end up together. With only one film of true chemistry between the two, it'll be interesting to see how the two characters progress as a couple in future Spider-Man films.
4 Knowing Peter's Secret Identity
Yes, it's obvious that MJ ultimately learns of Peter's superhero alter ego. However, if you rewind to a heart-racing scene earlier in the movie, you'll realize there's a possible reason as to how she figured it out. When Peter accidentally orders a drone strike on his classmate Brad Davis, he distracts the class by telling them to look at the baby mountain goats. After jumping out of the bus and destroying the drone with his web-shooters, he lands with the whole class staring out the window.
However, MJ is still sitting in her seat, as baby mountain goats clearly aren't something she cares much about during a potential life-threatening bus crash. In that moment, it makes perfect sense that she could have seen him jump out of the bus like a superhero, clearly giving away the fact that he's Spider-Man.
3 The Amazing Spider-Man 143
After the final battle concludes, MJ meets Peter on the bridge to exchange their first kiss. In the background of that, one of the damaged cars has a license plate reading "TASM 143". As the MCU Spider-Man films have commonly done before, these nods to the famous "Amazing Spider-Man" comics can be found all throughout Far From Home. In perfect harmony, "The Amazing Spider-Man 143" is actually the comic edition in which Peter and Mary Jane have their first kiss. This is just one of many great easter eggs throughout the film, and one of the few that actually involves MJ.
2 Black Dahlia Necklace
Before the final scene, when Peter and his classmates return from Europe, MJ can be seen wearing the broken black dahlia necklace in the Newark airport. After spending so much effort trying to protect the necklace during multiple battles, it's finally broken during the final battle where Happy Hogan, MJ, Ned and others try to protect themselves from killer drones. The shattered necklace is actually a perfect builder for MJ's character, who explains that she actually prefers it broken.
1 Black Dahlia (Marvel Comics)
One of the defining aspects of the MCU's MJ character is her hidden heroism, moving away from the stereotypical damsel in distress model of former Spider-Man love interests. Her strong-minded and stoic personality coupled with the heavy emphasis on the black dahlia in Far From Home could be a prediction of MJ's future role.
In the comics, the Black Dahlias are an all-female crime-fighting group operating out of Los Angeles. Although forming and joining this group is a massive stretch for her, it would fit well with the characterization of MJ in Far From Home.