Shailene Woodley felt 'crushed' by 'Amazing Spider-Man 2' scenes being cut

Actress Shailene Woodley was devastated upon discovering her scenes for 'Amazing Spider-Man 2' had been removed, lamenting that portraying Mary Jane had been her 'dream role,' according to a report published on August 28, 2026, at 9:39 p.m. PT by Variety Film News.

More than a decade following the event, Shailene Woodley recently discussed her disappointment at learning that her performance alongside Andrew Garfield in 'The Amazing Spider-Man 2' did not make it into the movie's final edit.

Speaking during a recent 'SAG-AFTRA Foundation Conversations' session, where actors discuss their craft, Woodley revealed she only found out about her exclusion from 'The Amazing Spider-Man 2' a full year after shooting had concluded. The film itself premiered in theaters in May 2014.

Woodley humorously referred to receiving the news as "a fun phone call."

She explained that being cast as Mary Jane Watson by director Marc Webb was her aspiration, expressing her immense excitement because Spider-Man was her favorite superhero, and Mary Jane was her most beloved character during her childhood.

Woodley recounted filming approximately three scenes with Andrew Garfield. She then learned a year later that she would no longer be in the movie. When she questioned this, she was informed that due to the introduction of many new characters, they intended to postpone her appearance until after what transpired between Emma Stone's character, Gwen Stacy (Peter Parker's girlfriend in the film), and Andrew Garfield's character. (It's worth noting that Gwen Stacy's character tragically dies in 'The Amazing Spider-Man 2.')

Woodley mentioned she was also told to "wait for [Gwen Stacy] to die and then we'll introduce Mary Jane," which she admitted made sense at the time, but ultimately, the subsequent film featuring her character was never produced.

The filmmakers reportedly decided to omit Mary Jane from the movie to prevent confusion regarding Peter Parker's romantic interests. Woodley remarked that this was the explanation she received, though she acknowledged that the real reason might differ, perhaps even suggesting her performance could have been deemed unsuitable.

During the 2014 New York premiere of 'The Amazing Spider-Man 2,' where a Mary Jane-themed cocktail was served, producer Matt Tolmach explained to Variety regarding Woodley's cut scenes that they had attempted to include too much narrative. He stated that they had a 148-page script and realized midway through production that the storyline involving Mary Jane would not fit into that particular movie.

In director Sam Raimi's 'Spider-Man' film series, Kirsten Dunst portrayed Mary Jane, appearing opposite Tobey Maguire.

In her extensive 90-minute discussion for 'SAG-AFTRA Foundation Conversations,' Woodley also touched upon her roles in 'Divergent,' 'Dumb Money,' 'The Descendants,' 'The Fault in Our Stars,' HBO's 'Big Little Lies,' and the second season of Hulu's 'Paradise.'