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The Boy Who Was Friends With Iron Man, or the Honest Trailer for Spider-Man: Far From Home

Spider-Man gives double thumbs up onstage in Spider-Man: Far From Home.

The Honest Trailer for Spider-Man: Far From Home shines a light on quite a few wonderful things about the movie—and some less-than-wonderful things. For example: 1. Jake Gyllenhaal is perfect as Mysterio and 2. Why did Tony Stark put EDITH in a pair of sunglasses and then give it to a kid? Peter Parker is going to lose them (even if no one else could access EDITH) and then what? The drones just … exist? Also, he’s sixteen.

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All jokes aside, one thing that really bothers me about the Honest Trailer is its treatment of MJ. Zendaya brings to life a very modern interpretation of the character and shows her in a light that many relate to. The world is on fire and most of us just want to exist in our own doom and gloom and also, who doesn’t want to know more about the Black Dahlia murder?

The trailer calls her the “Debbie Downer” of the series and honestly? Screw that. Zendaya’s MJ is the kind of character that finally gives a woman agency as a love interest for the superhero, rather than her being the beautiful red-headed actress who loved Peter Parker after they got out of high school (no shade to the Sam Raimi Mary Jane Watson. I’m just pointing out the difference).

I think, because she’s so different than the usual damsel-in-distress MJ, some people have a problem with the MCU version of MJ. To those people I say goodbye, go away, she’s the very best. I don’t see her as a Debbie Downer in any way, shape, or form? She’s obsessed with the morbid aspect of our own history and wants to explore it and learn, something that is often lacking from female characters in general, but is highly relatable to many women. She loves to protest, investigate, and understand everything happening around her. Even if it means pretending that she doesn’t have a crush on Peter Parker.

She’s a monotone teenager with an affinity for murder. Nothing but respect for MY Michelle “MJ” Jones and her broken black dahlia necklace and honestly. I love this version of MJ so much.

So sure, this Honest Trailer does do a good job of pointing out the absurdity of Tony Stark giving a multi-million dollar AI system to a teenager but also keep your MJ shade to yourself, she’s exceptional.

(image: Marvel Entertainment)

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Rachel Leishman
Rachel Leishman (She/Her) is an Assistant Editor at the Mary Sue. She's been a writer professionally since 2016 but was always obsessed with movies and television and writing about them growing up. A lover of Spider-Man and Wanda Maximoff's biggest defender, she has interests in all things nerdy and a cat named Benjamin Wyatt the cat. If you want to talk classic rock music or all things Harrison Ford, she's your girl but her interests span far and wide. Yes, she knows she looks like Florence Pugh.

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