We Almost Had Anne Hathaway as Black Cat in ‘Spider-Man 4’

Anne Hathaway famously played Selina Kyle/Catwoman in Christopher Nolan’s 2012 film The Dark Knight Rises. But before that, she had her sights set on another feline-themed burglar: Felicia Hardy, a.k.a. Black Cat. In a new interview with the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Hathaway said she was signed on to play Black Cat in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 4. But Sony declined to make the film, choosing instead to reboot the series with Andrew Garfield.

Hathaway said, “I did not get into costume and did not read a script past the audition sides, … I got the part and, yeah, it just … That’s probably more the producers’ story to tell than mine, should they ever decide to tell it. The ‘Spider-Man’ universe has gone on to be so enormous and so thrilling. It’s just reinventing itself and all of those things, so I wouldn’t want to make more of it than is necessary.”

Hathaway believes it was worth it, as she went on to play Selina Kyle in the third installment of Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy. “If [Spider-Man 4] had gotten made, I don’t know if I would’ve been considered for [The Dark Knight Rises], … Perhaps [Christopher Nolan] would’ve said, ‘No, she’s occupied in another universe.’”

Hathaway’s casting was another close call in Felicia Hardy’s journey to the big screen. In addition to almost appearing in Spider-Man 4, Felicia Hardy makes a brief cameo in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, where she is played by Felicity Jones (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story). Director Gina Prince-Bythewood (The Woman King) was attached to direct Silver and Black, a team-up of Silver Sable and Black Cat. But that film was put on indefinite hold in 2018.

Speaking of close calls, Hathway also discussed her Barbie movie that never got made. She praised Great Gerwig and Margot Robbie’s film, saying Barbie “hit a bullseye,” adding “I genuinely think their film was the best possible version.”  

(featured image: Mike Marsland/WireImage/Marvel Comics)