Marvel's Spider-Man's iteration of Mary Jane Watson is a better and modern take on the beloved character, as she's transformed from the damsel in distress of the comics into a well-rounded lead who also reports for the Daily Bugle. As a result, she is highly independent and hardworking to a fault, especially when uncovering the truth, even if it compromises her safety. The Mary Jane in the video game is a stark contrast to the version seen in the comics who, while beloved, has lacked nuance in many depictions.
Mary Jane Watson's history is relatively convoluted compared to most other characters featured in Marvel's Spider-Man, like Doc Ock. In the original 1960s Amazing Spider-Man comics, she was initially introduced as something of a joke character - the unseen "nice girl" that Aunt May was trying to set up with Peter Parker, who ultimately turned out to be a bombshell girl next door. Her appearances beyond that in the 1970s and eighties were fairly one dimensional, as she was made out to be the "free spirit" of the era and mainly functioned as a love interest for Peter. While more recent iterations have expanded upon her character, she's tended to lack agency and has frequently been victimized or reduced to nothing but a romantic lead.
Whereas the majority of characters in Marvel's Spider-Man retain elements of their comics backstory and personality, Mary Jane represents a huge departure. She's no longer an aspiring model, but instead a more proactive character who positively influences the story. Not only is she a central figure in the narrative, but she's also given just as key a role as the other Spider-Mans, Peter Parker and Miles Morales. There are definitely flaws to her interpretation - the Daily Bugle reporter aspect feels slightly derivative, given the other investigative reporters Insomniac had at its disposal in the Marvel Universe already - but this version of Mary Jane ultimately possesses more agency than the character has historically enjoyed in the mainstream 616 comics continuity.
Over the last several decades of Marvel's comics, Mary Jane has gone from being Peter Parker's wife to another love interest, with very little development surrounding her personality in the meantime. Most of MJ's development is usually centered around her relationship with Peter, which could also be said of many other Spider-Man love interests. Fortunately, Marvel's Spider-Man took the character from the comics and gave her a greater sense of independence. Insomniac's game starts as Peter is a young adult, and has already experienced many of his defining encounters from the comics - including his relationship with MJ, which has fallen apart.
As the game reveals, Peter began to smother Mary Jane as he started dealing with more terrifying criminals, ultimately pushing her away and the two breaking up. When she reemerges as an investigative reporter, Mary Jane shifts from a background character or object of desire to more of a partner and, in some ways, an equal to Spider-Man. This approach integrates her into the narrative while developing Peter's relationship with her. By the end of the game, the characters have grown together and reconciled their relationship, and it all comes from MJ's newfound independence not just as an equal half in a relationship, but as her own person with her own goals and wants.
Some of the most satisfying moments in Marvel's Spider-Man's story are meeting new iterations of classic characters from the comics and television shows, from the Sinister Six to Yuri Watanabe and Felecia Hardy, aka Black Cat. However, one of the most significant and welcome changes is Mary Jane Watson. Her development brings the source material into more contemporary times and breathes new life into her character, especially given her complicated past in the comics. Marvel's Spider-Man proves that there's always room to evolve characters in an adaptation, and in a way that can bring the superhero genre forward.
