For nearly two decades, Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson have rarely been allowed to simply be happy together. Marvel’s 2007 storyline One More Day famously erased their marriage, creating one of the most divisive changes in Spider-Man history. Now, a new YA novel is putting the pair’s relationship front and center again, although this time through a completely different version of their story.
MJ Loves Spider-Man, written by New York Times bestselling author Emma Lord, brings Peter and MJ together in a 320-page romantic superhero adventure arriving June 15, 2027. Published by Penguin Random House under the Disney Books umbrella, the novel takes the familiar relationship in a new direction, making MJ the character who must save Peter when his greatest secret suddenly disappears from his memory.
MJ Loves Spider-Man Gives Their Romance A Fresh Start
The novel follows 17-year-old Mary Jane Watson, who appears confident and carefree but privately wants to escape her complicated home life. Her longtime crush happens to be her next-door neighbor, Peter Parker, whose identity as Spider-Man creates an obvious complication. Unlike many Spider-Man stories, however, this version places MJ’s feelings at the center.
Peter’s superhero identity becomes the story’s biggest problem when he suddenly forgets that he is Spider-Man. At the same time, MJ gets punished at school for what is described as a lack of commitment and receives an opportunity to audition for a recurring role on a popular crime drama. The seemingly perfect escape becomes complicated when fiction starts becoming dangerously real.
The actors involved with the crime drama begin committing crimes based on events from the show’s script, throwing New York City into chaos. With Peter unable to remember his life as Spider-Man, MJ has to take a much more active role. Her challenge is not simply helping her crush remember who he is, but becoming the hero the situation requires.
Emma Lord Is Reimagining A Classic Marvel Couple
Emma Lord is especially suited to bringing a romantic spin to Peter and MJ. She is known for YA novels including Tweet Cute, which itself draws inspiration from the classic romantic-comedy setup of You’ve Got Mail. That background makes MJ Loves Spider-Man an intriguing departure from conventional superhero storytelling while keeping the relationship at its heart.
The book is also notable because it is explicitly being presented as a YA romance rather than simply another Spider-Man adventure. Peter and MJ have appeared together in comics, animation, movies, and video games, but this novel gives their relationship considerably more room to drive the plot. MJ is not merely Spider-Man’s love interest; she becomes the protagonist responsible for saving the day.
MJ Loves Spider-Man is currently scheduled for June 15, 2027, with a 320-page paperback edition priced at $13.99 USD. Preorders are already available, giving longtime Spider-Man fans an early look at a story that effectively sidesteps the complicated modern comic-book continuity. After 19 years of separation, Peter and MJ are getting another chance to fall for each other and fans will not want to miss it.
- Movie(s)
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Spider-Man, Spider-Man Strikes Back, Spider-Man: The Dragon’s Challenge, Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2, Spider-Man 3, The Amazing Spider-Man, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse, Spider-Man: Far from Home, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse
- TV Show(s)
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Spider-Man, Spider-Man, Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, Spider-Man: The Animated Series, Spider-Man Unlimited, Spider-Man: The New Animated Series, The Spectacular Spider-Man, Ultimate Spider-Man, Spider-Man, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, Spider-Noir
- Comic
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The Amazing Spider-Man
- First Film
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Spider-Man
