During a 2014 interview with the Los Angeles Times, “The Amazing Spider-Man” and “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” director Mark Webb went into more details surrounding the possibility of Shailene Woodley’s MJ in the second film. Webb noted that MJ was included in the script for “The Amazing Spider-Man 2,” and Woodley did come to set to shoot a few scenes over a couple of days as the character. The director explained that she did great work as MJ, but the tough decision to cut her character was made in the editing room. He continued that there was “too much on the table” with Peter and Gwen to introduce another love interest.
Producer Matt Tolmach also said that he and the other producers felt with everything they already had going on in “The Amazing Spider-Man 2,” Woodley’s MJ wouldn’t co-exist well at that particular moment. Tolmach explained that it wouldn’t have been fit to have Peter thinking about Gwen constantly only to introduce MJ.
Unfortunately, “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” didn’t perform well enough to earn a third installment, and in “Now Way Home” Garfield’s Peter gives no indication of any possible love interest aside from Gwen. Although, with the rumors and fan support behind “The Amazing Spider-Man 3” after Garfield’s scene-stealing appearance alongside Holland and Maguire, anything is possible.