SPIDER-WOMAN (2026) Tom Holland & Zendaya Coleman

Zendaya becoming a superhero in the MCU is one of those ideas that keeps getting bigger the more fans talk about it because if you really think about it the setup is already there. A bunch of Marvel fans still remember how Zendaya once said publicly that she would love to play a hero someday and even though she later explained that she liked MJ staying grounded and supporting Peter from the sidelines, the possibility never fully disappeared. In fact, the MCU has quietly been building towards something like this for years and now with massive crossover movies like Doomsday and Secret Wars on the horizon, there's actually a realistic chance that Zendaya's MJ could evolve into some kind of Spider-Woman variant. What makes this story interesting is because Zendaya's MJ has never really been treated like a normal love interest. From the beginning of the MCU Spider-Man trilogy, her role kept getting bigger with every movie. In Spider-Man Homecoming, she was mysterious and sarcastic but by the time Spider-Man No Way Home arrived, she was already deeply connected to Peter Parker's superhero life. She helped him during dangerous situations, figured out his identity and even stood beside him during some of the craziest multiverse chaos the MCU has ever shown. So although she never wore a suit herself, MJ already feels like part of the superhero world. And the wild thing is that Marvel apparently considered making her an actual superhero before. During interviews promoting No Way Home back in 2021, both Zendaya and Tom Holland talked about how filmmakers had explored the idea of MJ suiting up in the MCU. Zendaya laughed it off at first and said she never pushed for it herself, but Holland revealed that the idea had been floating around behind the scenes for a while. That means Marvel Studios clearly saw potential in it even back then. At the time, Zendaya explained that she preferred MJ staying part of Peter's team instead of becoming a superhero on her own. She liked the because it made the movies feel more personal and grounded. But a lot can change in a few years, especially now because the MCU is entering its biggest multiverse era yet. Characters who once seemed impossible to return are suddenly coming back, alternate realities are becoming normal, and fans are way more open to experimental superhero versions of familiar characters. So if Marvel revisits the idea today, it would not feel strange anymore. In fact, Zendaya's MJ becoming Spider-Woman would continue a pattern the MCU has already followed several times. One of the best examples is Natalie Portman as Jane Foster. For years, Jane was mainly known as Thor's love interest. She disappeared from the MCU for a while, and many fans thought her story was basically over. But then, Thor love and thunder surprised everyone by turning her into Mighty Thor. Suddenly, she had Mjolnir, powers, armor, and a full superhero arc of her own. Fans ended up loving the emotional dynamic between Thor and Jane even more because both characters were finally standing on equal ground. The same thing happened with Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts. She started as Tony Stark's assistant and romantic partner in Iron Man, but over time, she became one of the MCU's most important supporting characters. Then, in Avengers Endgame, she finally suited up as Rescue and fought beside Iron Man during the final battle. Fans absolutely loved seeing that moment because it felt earned after years of development. There are a bunch of other examples too. Evangeline Lilly became the Wasp after first being introduced as Hope Van Dyne, and Hayley Atwell transformed Peggy Carter into Captain Carter across the multiverse storyline. So, the MCU already has a history of taking love interests and evolving them into full heroes. That's why the idea of Zendaya becoming Spider-Woman suddenly feels way more believable than it did a few years ago. Another reason fans keep talking about this theory is because many people still want Emma Stone to return as Spider-Gwen after Andrew Garfield came back in No Way Home. Ever since Garfield returned, fans have been begging for The Amazing Spider-Man 3 to happen, and because the Spider-Verse movies made Spider-Gwen insanely popular, people naturally started imagining Emma Stone finally suiting up as that version of Gwen Stacy. But although fans love the idea, bringing Emma Stone back as Spider-Gwen could still be complicated because of contracts, scheduling, and the fact that Marvel already has so many Spider characters to juggle. That's where Zendaya's MJ could become Marvel's solution. Instead of introducing Emma Stone's Spider-Gwen full-time, Marvel could create a multiverse version of MJ who becomes Spider-Woman. That way fans still get the emotional impact of Peter fighting beside a spider-powered partner, but the MCU also keeps the focus on its own established characters. Zendaya already has the charisma and screen presence to pull it off. You can even imagine how crazy the visuals would look in Secret Wars. Picture Holland's Spider-Man trapped in some collapsing multiverse battlefield, surrounded by alternate heroes from different universes, and suddenly a Spider-Woman version of MJ swings in to help him. That kind of reveal would completely explode online because audiences already have an emotional connection to Zendaya's character. What makes the theory even stronger is because Marvel Comics recently changed Mary Jane Watson herself into a superhero. In 2023, MJ officially became a hero known as Jackpot. Instead of traditional spider powers, she used a special bracelet that randomly granted different superpowers every time she activated it. Sometimes she would gain super strength, sometimes energy blasts, and sometimes completely unpredictable abilities. It basically worked like a slot machine for powers. That concept feels perfect for the MCU. MCU MJ and Ned are both portrayed as extremely smart characters. Marvel could easily adapt the Jackpot storyline by having them create their own version of the power slots bracelet. That would allow Zendaya's MJ to become a superhero without needing radioactive spider powers at all. It also fits the more tech-focused style of the MCU version of Spider-Man. The cool part is that this idea could naturally reconnect Peter and MJ after the heartbreaking ending of No Way Home. Peter sacrificed his entire identity to save the world, and now MJ no longer remembers him. But if MJ becomes involved in superhero activity herself, their paths could cross again in a completely different way. Peter might first encounter her as Jackpot or Spider-Woman before slowly rebuilding their relationship from scratch. That kind of storyline would fit perfectly in Spider-Man 4 because Marvel loves emotional character arcs mixed with large-scale action. And if Marvel decides to go with a more traditional Spider-Woman route instead of Jackpot, there is already a bunch of comic material they can borrow from. Spider-Woman, especially Jessica Drew, has some really unique abilities that make her different from Peter Parker. Alongside the usual enhanced strength, speed, agility, and wall-crawling powers, Spider-Woman can also use venom blasts, which are bioelectric attacks fired from her hands. She can glide through the air, move across environments quickly, and fight in a much more aggressive style than Spider-Man. Those powers would look incredible in live-action, especially with modern MCU visual effects. Imagine Zendaya's Spider-Woman using glowing venom blasts during an Avengers-level battle while Peter swings beside her. It would instantly separate her from being just another Spider-Person. And because the MCU is now fully embracing the multiverse, Marvel has endless ways to introduce her. She could be a variant from another universe, she could gain powers in the main timeline, or Marvel could combine elements of Jackpot and Spider-Woman together into something entirely new made especially for Zendaya. That flexibility is why fans keep believing this theory might actually happen. Zendaya has become one of Hollywood's biggest stars since joining the MCU. Back when Homecoming released, she was already popular, but now she's on a completely different level because of projects like Euphoria and Dune. Marvel knows audiences love her, and studios rarely waste that kind of popularity. So even though Zendaya once said she didn't necessarily want MJ becoming a superhero, the MCU landscape has changed a lot since then. Massive crossover stories like Doomsday and Secret Wars are built around shocking returns, alternate realities, and fan-favorite character transformations. That makes this the perfect time for Marvel to finally explore the idea they almost used years ago. If there's ever been a moment for Zendaya's MJ to become Spider-Woman, this is probably it. And that wraps up today's video. If you want to stay in the loop with all the latest movie and series news, don't forget to hit that subscribe button and give us a big thumbs up, because I'll be bringing you more updates on upcoming movies before they even drop. So keep an eye out for that, along with the latest on your other favorite shows and movies. Stay tuned, and I'll see you in the next one.