To Defend Mary Jane....
I got nothing. At least, we aren't talking about the cartoon version of 1994. She has so much to give credit to. Her clone covered for Peter. Heck, she got "tossed" away to another dimension ( and in real live, left there until 30 years only to have her rescue in a script).
So, the uphill battle… MJ had a boyfriend who bullied Peter and she never truly put her foot down on that. She did get the bus driver to let him on the bus. She had a conversation with him at the science lab. The first true mark is when she chose to date his best friend. WOW. Everyone knew that Peter had a massive crush on her and… she chose Harry.
After coming to her senses, she finally chose at the end of the 1st movie to choose Peter but due to Green Goblin and being a hero, he had to decline it. I get and we all should get that she should be able to move on. So, she did. She is about to marry an astronaut. Peter was trying to show that he can have her now. But she moved on…. kinda. It gets messed up that it was Peter who got her captured. Not Spider-Man kinda. Kinda. So, MJ gets to see Peter as he truly is and she went to him after… being a runaway bride and not tell them all that she has someone she truly want to be with. It is amazing that J.J. did not blast Peter on that. Oh, don't forget that MJ tried to hit Ock that one time. See… kinda helped.
The final time, she was truly involved with her career. Peter was walking on air. Wished that didn't need to get a crash course. Funny how the 1st movie did reveal something. She… when… she has bad or upsetting news, her boyfriend is the last one she tells. The 1st movie, don't tell her she has a waitress job. The 3rd movie, texted and talked to HARRY about how she got let go in the worst way possible and she is just breaking. Peter is on top but she thinks he would not hear her out when times are sad. Could say she should be a bit happy for him. She only knows about the burglar not Harry's dad. When she went to Harry, they eventually danced together cooked together, read his play he wrote for her and …. she kissed him. He is your ex. Got to admit… does not seem like a good idea to do that. I don't get how Harry considered her a friend. I mean they never hung out as friends in any movie. Well, unless around Peter. So, she broke up with Peter due to Harry. You would figure they would have some code that she is in trouble or something but no. Peter got back at her. Maybe wasn't a great idea but you did break up with him and didn't even after Harry is nowhere around… TALK. Tell him! So, he did that and well should we feel bad? She did get punched? I think she did. I thought why the "fight" even broke out. So, she is again screwed due to bad luck. Venom needed to lure Spider-Man out and it was being… kinda selected. The symbiote always has been. At least, no going after Aunt May. She gets to have a break. House explosion and fright. Bank heist and she is the hostage then let go to maybe fall to her doom. Nothing in the 3rd movie.
They mourn for Harry. They get back together but on strained circumstances.
The truth is, MJ was possibly fine. However, it wasn't MJ who gave you all this sense of her being rotten or a bad person, it was…. Kirsten Dunst. She was the one who had a messy breakup with Tobey M. thus and her feelings that went into the movie was polluted by that than a genuine feeling. So, the portrayal really was under her "guidance" and lack of hiding her true emotions.
Can I defend her….. maybe I did. Maybe I failed. There isn't a true yes in this situation.

















