Elizabeth Banks Recalls Audition for Original Spider-Man Movie's MJ
Elizabeth Banks recalls her audition to play Mary Jane Watson in the original Spider-Man movie. Director Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man was released in 2002, starring Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker, Kristen Dunst as Mary Jane, and Willem Dafoe as the Green Goblin. The film tells the story of how Peter Parker gets bitten by a genetically enhanced spider and becomes New York’s friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. Upon its release, the film grossed $825 million worldwide, spawning a huge fan base and launching Raimi’s trilogy.
At one point, Spider-Man was the highest-grossing superhero movie of all time. That said, the film revolutionized comic book adaptations and helped to make the genre what it is today. Without Sony's initial films, there would likely be no Marvel Studios, Marvel Cinematic Universe, and certainly no Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021). Two decades later, the creatives behind Spider-Man are recalling their experience working on the film and/or auditioning for their iconic characters.
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In a recent interview with Variety to celebrate Spider-Man’s 20th anniversary, Elizabeth Banks recalled auditioning for Spider-Man all those years ago. According to the actress, she originally auditioned to play Mary Jane Watson before the role went to Dunst. Read the full quote below:
“I was brand-new in the business when the audition came across my desk. I auditioned for Mary Jane Watson, actually. I remember being told to wear flat shoes. I wore my hair in, like, pigtails probably or something ridiculous, to feel like I was in high school.”
After originally auditioning to play Mary Jane, Banks would go on to be cast as Betty Brant. Brant worked for The Daily Bugle
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