"The Amazing Spider-Man" swings into theaters next July, and when it does, Peter Parker won't be locking lips with Mary Jane Watson—largely because, well, Mary Jane won't be in the movie! Instead, Emma Stone is appearing as Gwen Stacy, Peter's first love.

"I just thought her story was epic,” Stone told The Vancouver Sun of why she wanted to play the character. “When you hear the story of Gwen Stacy for the first time, I’m sure, at any age, it floors you."

Doubtful that there are many of you out there who don't know how Gwen's arc plays out in the comics, but just in case, we'll keep our mouths shut. But for Stone, it wasn't just the character's eventual fate that intrigued her—it's the way she impacts Peter and his future relationship with MJ.

"I was so, so excited to learn about Gwen, because (I) hadn’t read the comic book growing up, and my experience was with the Sam Raimi movies. . . . I always assumed that Mary Jane was his first love,” she said. “Now I’ve become so hyper-protective of Gwen, the way she affected Peter and what happened with him and Mary Jane later on. . . . His reaction to Mary Jane is different because of Gwen.”

Describing Gwen as a "daddy's girl," Stone elaborated on her character's "Amazing" arc: "Her father was the police chief. . . . She’s the oldest in her family (and) she has younger brothers. She is very responsible and very protective of her family and she loves science; she is a valedictorian. She has her whole life planned out for her and then she gets to know Peter. . . . They teach each other so much, because they’re from two so totally different backgrounds and experiences. . . . He’s never really known sit-down family dinners with siblings and parents, and what it’s like to grow up in one house your whole life, and be under the thumb of your father."

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