The Amazing Spiderman 2: MJ Watson Recasting

There are some beautiful moments of my childhood that will stay with me forever. For instance, I remember watching the original Star Wars trilogy with my big brother while we ate way too many Tootsie Rolls and I toyed with the notions that Jabba the Hutt could potentially mar my dreams, and I would one day grow up to look like Princess Leia – skimpy prisoner outfit and all. I also remember the days of sitting around reading comic books while drinking Tang and eating Oreos. (Yes, it is a wonder my teeth have yet to fall out). The dynamic illustrations of comic books alone were enough to grab my undivided attention. Two images that stick out in my mind from the Spiderman series, in particular, are the cover from Peter and Mary Jane’s wedding issue and the lifeless body of Gwen Stacy in Spiderman’s arms after being thrown from a building by the Green Goblin. Her death marked a period in the Bronze Age of Comic books which tackled darker storylines and plots revolving around real life issues such as death, drug use, sexual assault, and alcoholism. It also demonstrated the tragic loss of a main character at the hands of a superhero, after it was confirmed that Gwen died of a broken neck due to the simultaneous impact of her fall and Spiderman’s webbing catching her leg. 

Gwen’s death has always stayed with me, and with the film reboot of the Spiderman series in the form of The Amazing Spiderman, it looks as if Gwen Stacy’s fate will be sealed on the big screen in the sequel film. On the heels of Stacy’s death will be the introduction of Mary Jane Watson’s character, originally intended to be played by Shailene Woodley. However, news broke yesterday that Watson scenes for the film were cut and the third film (and possibly fourth) in the series will recast the role. I get chills just thinking about the chemistry of Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone on screen in their Spiderman and Gwen Stacy roles, respectively, enacting that tragic scene. That will definitely be emotionally difficult to watch. 

Only seconds ago I read an update casting Sarah Gadon (Cosmopolis) in a role that may be that of the new Mary Jane but I'm thinking she may come into play in the Black Cat role. To be honest, I was never a fan of the Woodley choice, and apparently neither were a lot of fans who weren't too pleased with the grunge look displayed in many set photos. Maybe I’m just in comic book mode, but my first thought was Katie Cassidy of current Arrow fame, playing the charming redhead. We shall see how it all goes down when The Amazing Spiderman 2 swings into theaters on May 2, 2014!

 

 

Are you disappointed to see Woodley’s departure and excited about the prospect of Sarah Gadon? Are you excited about The Amazing Spiderman 2? Who would you want casted in the Mary Jane Watson role?

180 Degrees of Separation: Beauty and the Beast

As I was watching Soul Train last weekend, with a special tribute to the late Donna Summer (RIP), I realized that dance moves, music, fashion, and entertainment are all coming full circle. High waisted skirts, platforms, sequins, you name it, are coming back. If artists aren't completely remixing old school songs, then they have heavy samples playing in the background. And one thing I never thought I'd see again...

Shoulder pads!

That was a fashion 'faux poo poo' in my book. Women looking like linebackers with Olive Oyl legs. And now you see asymmetrical or cone shaped shoulder pads on the red carpet. *Shivers* At a certain point, fashion, music, and entertainment take a 360` turn. Film and television remakes are running rampant with reboots like Spiderman taking place within a five year span. Spiderman was a 2002-2007 film franchise based on the comic book from the 1960s. The film is being rebooted for a release this year. In TV land, one of my, and a very passionate cult fan following, favorite shows is Beauty and the Beast starring Ron Perlman and Linda Hamilton playing Vincent and Catherine. The show aired on CBS from 1987-1990. The show recreated the love of two of the most known characters with drama, suspense, and action. The makeup of the kind-hearted Vincent, who portrayed Beast, was phenomenal and blew many fans away week after week.

This brings me to my main point. The CW has decided to reboot this cult classic with Kristin Kreuk playing Catherine and Jay Ryan as Bruce Bann--Vincent. That was all fine and dandy until I saw the trailer and Vincent now looks like a GQ model with a simple scar on his cheek. Ummm. Not so beastly. Apparently this Vincent is a doctor who's chosen to stay in hiding because he Hulk's out every now and then to protect Catherine, but this doesn't capture the true essence of the divide between Vincent and Catherine and why they can't be together in the same world due to the ignorance of society unable to accept Vincent's physical appearance being so different. I don't know what route they're going in for the reboot because, from the poster, the 2012 Vincent looks like he could blend in just fine. I could see having his face half blocked out by a shadow with the same beastly eyes seen in the trailer, but apparently they just wanted to upset me. I understand that Koslow is aiming for a modernized version, but if the premise is lost from the show that it is following in the footsteps of, it may give many fans a disheartening feeling upon attempting to return to the franchise. Alas, we shall see how this show pans out, but I'm already giving it a very questionable side eye. Judge for yourself. 

Photo courtesy of IMDB.com