What character arc is the right one when you're drawing inspiration from three different narratives? Mary Jane's character arc in Ultimate Spider-Man is not like her character arc in Spider-Man loves Mary Jane, which is not like her character arc in 616. And we're using a loose definition of character arc when talking about MJ's character development in Amazing Spider-Man, because neither Lee nor Romita had the ASM#122 prologue in mind when they introduced Mary Jane.
a character arc that doesn't change her into a totally opposite person look wise and personality wise.
I can't speak to Spider-Man Loves MJ because I never read that.
but in all the Spidey stuff I've read and seen and played throughout all these years, I've never seen MJ being portrayed as an ugly duckling "basket case" who blossoms and transforms into the hot super model chick.
Now, maybe there is such a version of MJ out there that I simply don't know about it. But if it does exist, it certainly isn't the "mainstream" image of the character.
Whether MJ is a fun loving party girl or a fellow nerd or Peter's super model wife, MJ has always been beautiful from the start. She's not the girl who needs a drastic makeover to become the character she's "supposed to be." If anything, she's the type of character who gives other girls like Liz or Gwen makeover tips.
MJ has never been an ugly duckling, awkward basket case character who undergoes a transformation story arc. To give her that arc, while potentially interesting, you would be totally changing the character.
Look at the Turtles. Each Turtle has distinct character traits that have stayed with the characters throughout all these years and throughout different medium and incarnations.
Leo is the strong leader. Donnie is the genius. Mikey is the party animal. Raphael is the rebel. Those core traits and personalities have stuck with the Turtles from way back when I used to watch them when I was a kid to what I see now in the current media.
It would like making a new Turtles movie where Leo starts out as an immature coward who "blossoms" into the strong, fearless leader by the end.
Or where Donnie acts more like a jock who hates science and learning, but after a close call with a villain, discovers he has a knack for inventing things and that inventing his is "true calling."
Or where Mikey is a serious stoic who can't stand eating pizza at first and who's too busy saving the world to party. But, by the end of the film, he loosens up a bit and shows his funny side more. oh, and he develops his love of pizza after trying one with anchovies.
Or where Raphael is initially a pacifist who eschews violence. but after the Shredder kills the love of his life, Raph becomes a violent vigilante.
These story arcs, while interesting, don't really fit the characters. Why? Because they have to change the characters into the complete opposite of what they are supposed to be in order for the characters to "grow" into their "true selves."
I'm all for interesting story arcs. but not ones that drastically change the character into something unrecognizable.
