Gwen Stacy (Bryce Dallas Howard)

Gwen Stacy
Name:	Gwendolyne Stacy
Alias(es):	Gwen
Affiliation:	Columbia University
Rank:	Citizen
Father:	George Stacy
Portrayed by:	Brianna Brown (cameo) Bryce Dallas Howard
Only Appearance:	Spider-Man 2 (unofficial) Spider-Man 3
Appears in:	2 Films

Gwendolyne Stacy is a fictional character who appears in the works published by Marvel Comics. Her character was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko in 1965. Her character was portrayed by Bryce Dallas Howard in 2007's Spider-Man 3.

History

Spider-Man 2

During the train sequence, one of the train passengers is a blonde Caucasian female played by Brianna Brown. The film's novelization later identified her as Gwen Stacy, given that Gwen during her debut in the threequel has no knowledge of Spider-Man's true identity, unlike the majority of passengers on that train. This version of Gwen was also still attending the same science class of Curt Connors, seated behind Peter Parker instead of in front of him.

It is likely that this is simply a plot-hole between the two sources similar to how Eddie Brock and Curt Connors were mentioned in the original Spider-Man film.

Spider-Man 3

Gwen Stacy, in her 20s, lives in New York City and is the daughter of NYPD Captain George Stacy. Gwen attends Columbia University and is a classmate and lab partner of Peter Parker.

As Peter is at the top of Dr. Connors' quantum mechanics class, he tutors her. She considers Peter a genius and is very fond of him.

Early in the film, Peter (as Spider-Man) catches Gwen from plummeting to her death, caused by a construction crane accident, this heroic deed instantly won her heart over. This was in front of her father NYPD Captain George Stacy who ensured Spider-Man was awarded the key to New York for his efforts.

At the parade to award the key to New York, Spider-Man greets Gwen while upside-down as the crowd chants "kiss him", Spider-Man insists and much to her excitement she slightly pulls down his mask and kisses him which causes his current girlfriend Mary Jane Watson to feel betrayal from Peter reenacting their intimate moment, although Gwen's kiss refrained from using any tongue or passion like Mary Jane did because of children watching.

She was also friends with Eddie Brock who took pictures of her, so she could be a model. His overlooked feelings and relationship with her is short-lived as Peter, under the influence of the symbiote, wins a date with her to steal not only Eddie's staff job achievement, but also the girl he forwardly plans to marry.

He dances with her at the same jazz club where Mary Jane works, but Gwen realizes that Peter is doing this only to make Mary Jane jealous (as revenge towards her kiss with Harry), so she apologizes to Mary Jane and storms out. Peter makes amends with Gwen later and she was also present at Harry Osborn's funeral.

Production

• Bryce Dallas Howard said she would love to be apart of any continuation of the film franchise while acknowledging her character's opportunity may have passed especially after Spider-Man 3 ended with Peter and Mary-Jane once again in each other’s arms. In May 2007, actor James Cromwell, who played Captain Stacy in the film stated he thought the natural progression for the character would be for both to die early in Spider-Man 4 mirroring the comics. Howard said a death would not have bothered her. The film was ultimately unmade despite Stacy making the draft.
• Elisha Cuthbert and Scarlett Johansson were considered for the role of Gwen Stacy.
• Both Topher and Bryce went onto appear in episodes of Black Mirror separately. Bryce appeared in the episode "Nosedive" while Topher appeared in "Smithereens".
• Bryce Dallas Howard performed her own stunts during the crane accident scene, unaware that she was pregnant at the time of filming.
• Kirsten Dunst, a natural blonde, plays redhead Mary Jane, while Bryce Dallas Howard, a natural redhead, plays blonde Gwen Stacy.
• According to Bryce Dallas Howard on the DVD commentary, the actor who plays the photographer during the crane accident scene performed magic for her at a birthday party when she was in the second grade.
• Mary Jane wasn't originally going to be in the taxi in the film's climactic fight. This was changed during the middle of shooting. Gwen was supposed to be captured, while MJ would have persuaded Harry to help Peter. The change was made at a late stage and Kirsten Dunst was not happy about it. Sam Raimi even apologized to her.
• During filming of a particularly intense stunt sequence involving Bryce Dallas Howard, Sam Raimi turned and was amused to see her father, director Ron Howard, standing next to him.

Trivia

• Gwen Stacy was voted hottest Raimi-verse female character by fan's choices.
• Bryce Dallas Howard has the same figure as Gwen Stacy illustrated by José Luis Durán, both being quite shapely in the hip and butt area.
• Unlike her mainstream comic counterpart, this Gwen wasn't dropped from a ledge by the Green Goblin, that part of her story was instead given to Mary-Jane in the original Spider-Man film.
• There were many scenes that were shot but never released on DVD such as tons of character-building moments including a confrontation scene between Captain Stacy and Eddie Brock (where Gwen dumps him at her father's house).
• One of the movie's subplots concerns Peter's friendship with Gwen Stacy and Mary Jane's resultant jealousy. Gwen first appeared in the comics in 'If This Be My Destiny...!' (Amazing Spider-Man Vol 1 #31, December 1965). In both the comics and the movie she is depicted as a classmate of Peter's at university. Her role in the movie - coming between Peter and M.J. - is similar to Felicia Hardy's role in the 'Alien Costume Saga' in the Fox Kids Spider-Man cartoon.
• Peter meets with Mary Jane at a restaurant where he intends to propose. However Mary Jane becomes jealous of Peter's friendship with Gwen and suspects there's something romantic between them. Similar tensions arose in Ultimate Spider-Man Vol 1 #37, May 2003, which was part of the Venom storyline, and in both stories Peter had to deny there was anything between him and Gwen. Mary Jane's jealousy of Gwen also echoes her jealousy of Peter's relationship with Black Cat during the 'Alien Costume Saga'. More specifically, 'The Sinister Secret of Spider-Man's New Costume!' (Amazing Spider-Man Vol 1 #258, November 1984).
• The scene where Spider-Man saves Gwen from falling to her death recalls the 'The Night Gwen Stacy Died' (Amazing Spider-Man Vol 1 #121, June 1973). In the comic, Peter accidentally snapped Gwen's neck when he tried to stop her fall using his webbing. There's a moment in the movie where he fires his webbing down towards her as she plummets, but instead of grabbing Gwen with it he uses the web to catapult himself off some rubble and safely catch her in his arms. The movie scene where Spider-Man saves Gwen is closer to the comic 'What If Gwen Stacy Had Lived?' (What If? Vol 1 #24, December 1980), in which Peter leaps after Gwen and safely catches her instead of using his web.
• Gwen breaks up with Eddie after he loses his job for his unethical betrayal against Spider-Man. Gwen also distanced herself from Brock in the Ultimate Spider-Man comics when she realized he was only after her for her virginity. In both stories this rejection leaves Eddie deeply embittered and contributes to his descent into villainy.

See Also

• Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone)