Kirsten Dunst's youngest son may be a Spider-Man fan, but there is one rather important detail about the superhero that he apparently does not care about: his mum once played Mary Jane Watson. A sweet photograph of James beneath a Spider-Man umbrella has resurfaced online, bringing renewed attention to Dunst's playful joke about her son's unlikely connection to the superhero franchise.
The image was originally shared by Dunst in September 2023, when James was two, and showed him beneath a large red umbrella decorated like Spider-Man's mask. Wearing a matching red top, the youngster looked every inch the tiny superhero fan. But it was Dunst's caption that gave the innocent family photograph its irresistible twist: 'Has no clue his mom was MJ.'
James Is a Spider-Man Fan for His Own Reasons
The joke became even better when Dunst later revealed just how much her son actually likes Spider-Man.
Appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in April 2024, the actress explained that James was not particularly impressed by the fact that she appeared in the 2002 film. Instead, he was fascinated by one very specific sequence: the wrestling scene.
'James likes Spider-Man, but he just really cares about the wrestling scene,' Dunst said, explaining that she had been forced to rewind the moment repeatedly because her son loved watching it.
That makes the photograph even sweeter. James was not posing with Spider-Man merchandise because he understood his mum's place in cinema history. He simply liked the character and the action. Dunst also joked that he would imitate Spider-Man around the house, making web-shooting sounds as he played.
For a child, Dunst's role as Mary Jane is apparently far less exciting than watching Spider-Man wrestle.
Dunst Was the Original Big-Screen MJ
Dunst's Mary Jane Watson remains one of the most recognisable performances from the first wave of modern superhero blockbusters. She starred opposite Tobey Maguire in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy, beginning with the 2002 original and returning for Spider-Man 2 in 2004 and Spider-Man 3 in 2007.
Her character was central to Peter Parker's story, with Mary Jane serving as Peter's childhood crush and eventual love interest. Their relationship became one of the emotional threads running through Raimi's trilogy, making Dunst's performance an important part of the franchise's early identity.
Dunst has also spoken openly about her experience with the franchise in recent years. In 2024, she said she would have been interested in returning as Mary Jane for Spider-Man: No Way Home had she been asked, highlighting how closely the role remains connected to her career.
Yet at home, that Hollywood legacy seems considerably less impressive.
A Rare Glimpse of Dunst's Family Life
The Spider-Man photograph also stands out because Dunst and her husband, Jesse Plemons, generally keep their children away from the spotlight.
The couple, who met while working on Fargo, have two sons, Ennis and James. Dunst has occasionally shared glimpses of family life, but the boys have largely grown up away from the constant public attention that can accompany celebrity parents.
Dunst has also spoken about keeping technology relatively limited for her children. In 2024, she said the family did not have a household culture of constantly using phones or tablets, with the boys not having their own iPads.
That makes James' enthusiasm for one particular Spider-Man scene all the more amusing. His interest is not necessarily driven by having easy access to every superhero film or piece of merchandise. Instead, he seems to have simply discovered something he enjoys and made it his favourite.
The Sweetest Part of the Story
The photograph first appeared online in 2023, but its continued circulation has given fans another opportunity to enjoy the generational joke behind it. Dunst's career helped establish Mary Jane as a major cinematic character for an audience that is now old enough to have children of its own. James, meanwhile, represents the next generation discovering Spider-Man without the baggage of his mother's fame.
And that is what makes the image work so well.
Dunst knows exactly how funny the situation is. Her son can sit under a Spider-Man umbrella, watch Spider-Man and enthusiastically imitate the hero, while remaining completely unimpressed by the fact that Mary Jane was played by his mum.
For now, James seems much more interested in Spider-Man's wrestling moves than his mother's place in superhero history. That may change as he gets older, but Dunst's 2023 photograph has already captured the perfect moment before he fully understands just how famous his mum's MJ really was.
