It's Time To Talk About MJ's Necklace In Spider-Man: No Way Home
To Peter Parker (Tom Holland), protecting the glass Black Dahlia necklace he buys in Venice during his European school trip is almost as important as saving the world in "Spider-Man: Far From Home." At the start of the trip, he has a detailed plan about how to tell his crush, MJ (Zendaya), how he feels about her, and it all hinges on giving her the necklace. Unfortunately for Peter, while he saves the world, he doesn't save the necklace.
Somewhere between Peter giving it to Happy (Jon Favreau) for safekeeping and stopping Mysterio's (Jake Gyllenhaal) reckless plot, the necklace gets broken. Luckily for Peter, MJ says she likes it better that way and kisses him. It's a sweet gift because it shows how well he knows her morbid interests, as "The Black Dahlia" was a nickname given to a young aspiring actress after her disturbing 1947 murder in Los Angeles, which was never solved.
The necklace becomes a symbol of how much Peter and MJ care for each other, but what becomes of it by the time "Spider-Man: No Way Home" comes to an end? Well, the film picks up right where the "Far From Home" mid-credits scene leaves off, with Peter and MJ in a crowded intersection at the exact moment that J. Jonah Jameson (J.K. Simmons) reveals Peter's identity as Spider-Man to the world. Chaos ensues, with people suddenly crowding around them — forcing Peter to get MJ and himself to safety. In that very scene, she's also wearing the broken necklace, in spite of a "Far From Home" mid-credits scene suggesting otherwise.
MJ's necklace creates a continuity error in Spider-Man: No Way Home
If you look carefully, you'll notice a continuity error between the mid-credits scene in "Spider-Man: Far From Home" and the opening of "Spider-Man: No Way Home." In the former, MJ is not wearing her necklace, but in the latter, she is. Only a few seconds pass between the two scenes, so it seems like this was merely a mistake. But who knows? Maybe MJ simply didn't want her necklace to snag on Peter's Spidey suit while they were swinging around, so she took it off and then put it back on after he set her down.
She does also have it around her neck in a "Far From Home" deleted scene that sees Peter and MJ sleeping next to each other on their plane ride back to New York. The necklace is clearly an important part of MJ's costume now, considering that Zendaya also wears it in the "No Way Home" title announcement video. Additionally, MJ is still wearing it at the end of "Spider-Man: No Way Home," even though she's entirely forgotten Peter Parker by that point.
That latter detail also forces us to ask: Who does MJ think gave her the necklace if she doesn't remember Peter? Spider-Man? She did, of course, figure out Spidey's identity once already, and it's entirely possible she'll do it again — especially if she knows she has a connection to him through the necklace.
Interestingly, there's also a Marvel Comics girl gang called the Black Dahlias, who act as vigilantes. Most likely, MJ will go to MIT and be successful there, but there's always the chance a future MCU film could see her start her own vigilante group. If she does, the odds are high that she'll likely only find herself caught in Spider-Man's web once more.
Some fans think MJ's necklace is key to future Spider-Man movies
The fact that the Black Dahlia necklace is important enough to MJ's character that having her wear it in the film's opening created a continuity error suggests that it may carry some significance beyond merely symbolizing Peter's affection. At least one Reddit user is in agreement, proposing the necklace will be key to her story in a future "Spider-Man" film.
User ThundercowReddit started a thread on the "No Way Home" subreddit suggesting that the necklace will prompt not just MJ but Ned as well to remember their former friendship with Peter. Since "No Way Home" possibly sets up that Ned will learn to wield magic in the same manner as Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), they theorized that the necklace will spur MJ to approach Ned about casting a spell to help the two of them regain their memories of Peter.
In response, user framedsunset called this theory "a really good idea" and wrote that it would "give them more agency in the story" compared to their prior appearances, in which their roles are largely defined by supporting Spider-Man.
Whether the necklace inspires MJ to start a vigilante group or encourages Ned to learn a spell that can bring back lost memories, there's a decent chance the necklace will remain an important part of "Spider-Man" lore as the franchise continues in future films.