Spider-Man 4 might have found its Black Cat
The untitled Spider-Man 4 has been recently making headlines for all the right reasons. First, Tom Holland officially confirmed the movie is in the works and has an "excellent" script. Later it was revealed that Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings director, Destin Daniel Cretton, will also helm the wall-crawler's upcoming project. Finally, audiences learned they will get to watch the film on July 24, 2026. But even if all of those details are nothing short of exciting, we still don't know what type of story we'll get to witness or which characters will make an appearance... from official sources, at least.
It's been heavily reported that Spider-Man 4 will be a multiversal adventure - which makes sense given that it takes place after Avengers: Doomsday. Furthermore, characters such as Tom Hardy's Venom are rumored to make an appearance alongside Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire's Peter Parkers. But if all of that wasn't enough, it seems a new star could also join the movie in a very important role.
Madelyn Cline is reportedly in talks to join Spider-Man 4
According to Deuxmoi, Madelyn Cline is in early talks to join the cast of Spider-Man 4. This falls in line with other reports claiming that Marvel has been searching for a new female lead to star opposite Tom Holland and Zendaya. While details about the role remain under wraps, we've also seen rumors from multiple sources indicating that Black Cat will make her big screen debut in the wall-crawler's upcoming movie, with some even suggesting the role was offered to Sydney Sweeney at some point (though there was nothing concrete). With all of that in mind, it's easy to see why fans speculate Madelyn could be the new Felicia Hardy.
Black Cat has been an ally, villain, and love interest to Spider-Man. She made her first appearance all the way back in 1979 on The Amazing Spider-Man #194 and has since become one of the wall-crawler's most popular characters. She's had an important role in TV series like Spider-Man: The Animated Series, video games such as Marvel's Spider-Man for PS4, and, of course, in multiple comic book series. Sony even planned to make a live-action movie with her and Silver Sable front and center, with production almost starting before the project was ultimately canceled. Since then, fans have wondered when would they see her share the big screen with Spider-Man, and it appears the time has finally come.
There's always the possibility that Madelyn Cline is in talks to play a completely different role. Recently, it was reported the working title for Spider-Man 4 is "Blue Oasis", which many took as a hint it could adapt the events of the (fantastic) Spider-Man: Blue comic book storyline. In it, we see Spidey reflect on his deceased love, Gwen Stacy, and their relationship. It's a pretty sad tale for Peter and readers alike, hence why the subtitle "Blue". If we take that as a hint, there could be a slight chance Madelyn plays the MCU's version of Gwen Stacy. But even then, it seems unlikely we watch her introduction and demise in the same movie, along with the fallout of those events. So perhaps "Blue Oasis" is just a random working title for the movie and Gwen isn't really involved in it.
As of right now, Black Cat is the most likely candidate. Fortunately, Spider-Man 4 will begin shooting during the summer of 2025 as revealed by Tom Holland. That means it isn't long before more information comes our way and set photos are released online, perhaps revealing who exactly will Madelyn play in the movie (if she decides to be on it in the first place).
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