FortuneCookie posted... Because an 80% similar character isn't the same character.
I don't know if they were afraid to call her Mary Jane because it's a euphemism for marijuana. I don't know if they feared racist vitriol. It's not it makes a difference on that front because Spider-Man's love interest is still Black. I don't know if they have contempt for Mary Jane Watson as a brand name because of her association with male fantasy or being a damsel in distress.
But I don't want to see Tarzan with Janice or Superman with Luisa. That's enough to take me out of a story. It's about character legacy. If you omit the name, you omit the character.
Whats wrong with omitting the character? Its not like hes never had other love interests.