Peter Parker/Spider-Man first hit the jackpot in Amazing Spider-Man #43 when he officially met his neighbor's niece Mary Jane for a blind date set up by their respective aunts, leading to a long, tragic but loving relationship that would define each character for years, finding each other again recently even after their marriage was mystically erased by the demon Mephisto.
Still, as one of Peter Parker's main romantic interests, Mary Jane Watson has appeared outside of the comics a number of times in both animation and live-action, with new takes on the character leading to heated fan discussions that only highlight the love for MJ that has led to her prominence outside of the comics, which we'll be exploring further today.
12 The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)
The second cinematic franchise from Sony Pictures focused primarily on Peter Parker's relationship with Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone), though there were plans to introduce Mary Jane in 2014's The Amazing Spider-Man 2, with Shailene Woodley joining the cast and even filming scenes before her role was ultimately cut from the film.
With Gwen Stacy's death in the second movie, it's likely MJ's scenes would have appeared in the third film of the franchise, though it was canceled and Shailene Woodley's time as MJ became a short-lived footnote in history.
11 Spider-Man (1967-1970)
A version of Mary Jane (voiced by Peg Dixon) appeared in the classic Spider-Man animated series from the 60s that remains a commonly-used source for hilarious memes, though she was a bit different than her comic counterpart.
Spider-Man's Mary Jane was reimagined as a friend of Peter's who was also the niece of the police chief, a slightly altered take on two characters named Captain Ned Stacy. MJ's appearance on the animated series did little to reference her comic character and she only featured once on the series.
10 Marvel Rising (2018 - Present)
The Marvel Rising franchise of projects features a young team of new heroes that form together as the Secret Warriors and exist in their own continuity of comics and animated films that featured versions of characters like Gwen Stacy/Ghost-Spider, who first appeared during the Marvel Rising: Initiation shorts.
This version of the character shares a similar comic origin and is the drummer in a band called The Emm-Jays, fronted by none other than Mary Jane Watson (voiced by Tara Strong), though the character and her history haven't been explored much beyond her connection to Gwen.
9 Spider-Man: Unlimited (1999-2001)
Peter Parker was given a new high-tech costume and a mission on a strange planet known as Counter-Earth in 1999's Spider-Man: Unlimited, which introduced a new cast of characters as Spider-Man faced off with the High Evolutionary and the Venom and Carnage symbiotes.
Mary Jane Watson (voiced by Jennifer Hale) briefly appeared in the pilot episode before Spider-Man left Earth, and he frequently referenced her in his inner monologue while on Counter-Earth, though she didn't feature in any of the storylines on the short-lived series.
8 Marvel's Spider-Man (2017 - Present)
While Mary Jane didn't appear much on Disney XD's most recent animated adaptation of the wallcrawler, though the character had a presence on Marvel's Spider-Man that was teased in the background, much like the character's slow debut in the original comics.
Mary Jane (voiced by Felicia Day) first appeared in a mascot costume at a high school football game, though she wasn't officially revealed until later in the season with a modernized look that reflected the updated designs of the series.
7 Spider-Man: The New Animated Adventures (2003)
MTV aired the computer-generated Spider-Man: The New Animated Adventures in 2003 following the success of the live-action film in 2002, and the series shared a similar continuity as the Sam Raimi films that explored the lives of Peter Parker, Harry Osborn, and Mary Jane Watson (voiced by Lisa Loeb).
Mary Jane became a frequent target of the series' original villains as she fought for Peter's affections while they attended school at Empire State University, though the series failed to develop MJ much beyond her role as the damsel-in-distress.
6 The Spectacular Spider-Man (2008-2009)
While Mary Jane Watson (voiced by Vanessa Marshall) was only a supporting character in The Spectacular Spider-Man whose role as Peter Parker's neighbor, friend, and high school classmate never evolved to romance, though her presence in the series was still important.
Not only did The Spectacular Spider-Man's use (and design) of Mary Jane reflect her and Peter's beginnings in the comics as long-time friends, it also gave Mary Jane a chance to develop on her own and showcase the character traits that would eventually make her one of Spider-Man's most important characters.
5 Spider-Man: The Animated Series (1994-1998)
90s kids fondly remember the hit Spider-Man: The Animated Series, which aired on Fox for five seasons and adapted a number of comic storylines that explored multiple love interests of Peter Parker that included Felicia Hardy/Black Cat and Mary Jane Watson (voiced by Sara Ballantine).
Mary Jane's comic origins were faithfully adapted and Peter and MJ's relationship was well-developed in the animated series, though her storyline was later given a Gwen Stacy-like twist as she fell to her supposed death before being cloned by Miles Warren. The series ended with the implication that she was still alive and Spide-Man would be reunited with his lost love.
4 Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse (2019)
Miles Morales and his transformation into his reality's Spider-Man after the death of Peter Parker was the main focus of 2019's animated Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse, though a version of Mary Jane (voiced by Zoë Kravitz) did appear in the Oscar-winning movie.
Mary Jane appeared as the widow of the fallen Peter Parker who spoke about his bravery at the public memorial attended by young Miles, and she also awkwardly interacted with an alternate reality Spider-Man (Peter B. Parker) which partially inspired him to rebuild the relationship with his own MJ.
3 Marvel Cinematic Universe (2017-2019)
Spider-Man joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe after a partnership deal was made with Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios that allowed the character to appear in the Avengers franchise of films while also starring in a new solo franchise that blended the mainstream and Ultimate comic versions of the character in 2017's Spider-Man: Homecoming.
Zendaya was cast as the mysterious Michelle Jones, a high school classmate of Peter Parker's who eventually reveals she prefers to be called MJ. The new MJ returned in 2019's Spider-Man: Far From Home as she discovered Spider-Man's secret identity and entered into a romantic relationship with Peter Parker, which will be further explored in the upcoming MCU continuation.
2 The Raimi Trilogy (2002-2007)
Kirsten Dunst portrayed Mary Jane Watson in Sam Raimi's original Spider-Man trilogy starring Tobey Maguire as the titular hero which first launched in 2002 and introduced young Peter Parker and his high school crush and neighbor, MJ.
Dunst's version of MJ was the most faithful to the comics as it featured a look at her abusive father and upbringing, her aspirations of becoming an actor and her work as a model, and her various relationships before finding love with Peter Parker. Kirsten Dunst is set to reprise her role of MJ in the MCU's upcoming multiversal Spider-Man 3.
1 Ultimate Spider-Man (2012-2017)
The best adaptation of Mary Jane Watson (voiced by Tara Strong) debuted in 2012's animated Ultimate Spider-Man series, which later aired as Ultimate Spider-Man: Web Warriors and Ultimate Spider-Man vs. The Sinister Six. The series blended the mainstream and Ultimate line of comics, though Mary Jane took more from the Ultimate line.
This version of the character followed her dreams of becoming a reporter for the Daily Bugle while helping her childhood best friend Peter Parker. The animated series further developed this version of the character by first transforming her into the villainous Carnage Queen before she gained control and became the heroic Ultimate Spider-Woman, unique to the animated series.