Spider-Man 4 may have been confirmed by Tom Holland, but its story is still in flux – and now, it’s being reported that the sequel will include a new female lead.
In Marvel’s defense, how do you make a satisfying follow-up to No Way Home, one of the highest-grossing movies of all time that also brought back Andrew Garfield, Tobey Maguire, and their iconic rogues’ galleries?
There’s been a lot of rumors about Holland’s fourth outing as Spidey. Nobody knows if it’ll be a grounded, street-level story (possibly with Daredevil and Kingpin) or another multiversal extravaganza – given the success of its predecessor and its current placement between Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars, the latter seems like the safest bet.
Also, there is the small problem of how No Way Home ended: nobody knows who Peter Parker is. However, that could pave the way for a new love interest.
Spider-Man 4 may introduce Black Cat
Black Cat, aka Felicia Hardy, is being considered for Spider-Man 4, according to industry insider Daniel Richtman.
In a new Patreon post, the scooper teased: “Spider-Man 4 will feature a new female love interest. Black Cat is a potential choice, but the official casting will be announced soon.”
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This isn’t the first time Black Cat’s name has been mentioned. In late 2024, it was rumored that The Outer Banks star Madelyn Cline had been offered the role, and even earlier that year, Sydney Sweeney was said to be in talks for the part (after Madame Web flopped at the box office).
For the uninitiated, Hardy is an extraordinarily talented cat burglar with an affinity for Spider-Man (as anyone who played both Spider-Man 2 games should know). In the comics, they’ve been lovers, enemies, and most often allies.
Considering earlier reports about Zendaya having a “severely reduced” role as MJ (remember, she doesn’t know who he is anymore, plus she has Dune 3 and Euphoria Season 3 to film), Black Cat could fill that gap. There’s also the possibility of the MCU introducing its version of Gwen Stacy.
Technically, we’ve already seen a live-action Black Cat: in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Felicity Jones played Felicia Hardy, but her role was incredibly brief and she never donned the costume.
Meanwhile, Beyond the Spider-Verse just got another crushing update, and Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man is about to drop on Disney Plus. You can also read our ranking of the best superhero movies ever made.
