We’re getting close to the start of Spider-Man 4, so lots of info should be leaking. The first major leak may have hit mania.com, who is reporting that Sam Raimi et al are getting started on pre-production and casting right now, and one actress they’ve talked with is Rachel McAdams for the role of Felicia Hardy.
Nerds will know instantly that Felicia Hardy is the Black Cat, a cat burglar and one-time Spider-Man love interest. The Black Cat also was granted bad luck powers at one point in her comic book life, and she’s straddled both sides of the law over the years. That makes her an interesting character, and despite what mania says doesn’t make her a villain. I bet she starts the film a baddie but is pretty firmly a good guy by act three.
That’s important to keep in mind when looking at the second half of mania’s scoop, that the production is also looking at male actors for a villain role, since Raimi has told the press he didn’t want to do two villains in this film. Mania rightly assumes the search for a new villainous actor means The Lizard is out, since Curt Connors has long since been cast and Dylan Baker is coming back as the character in Spider-Man 4. So who could this villain be? I’d love for Spider-Man 4 to focus on Spidey fighting ‘street level’ crime, a world in which the Black Cat works perfectly. In fact, I’d probably do some kind of crazy dance if this film had Spidey up against Silvermane, an aging Mafia (or Maggia, in the Marvel Universe) don who was TURNED INTO A FUCKING CYBORG.
Here’s a look at Silvermane at his best. Please, Sam Raimi, make a movie about an old Italian cyborg. I know you would love to do so.
