Since 2002, Spider-Man has romanced the likes of Mary Jane Watson, Gwen Stacy, Liz Allan, and MJ (Michelle Jones-Watson) on screen. However, one love interest who has yet to enter Peter Parker's life in live-action is Black Cat, a great character in her own right who spent years dating the wall-crawler.
Following the events of No Way Home, and with Spider-Man 4 somewhere on the horizon, now feels like the right time for Felicia Hardy to show up.
A few years ago, Sony Pictures started developing a movie titled Silver & Black which would have paired Felicia Hardy with Silver Sable. Unfortunately (fortunately?), it fell apart and, last we heard, both characters were said to be getting their own solo outings.
While we'd definitely buy a ticket to watch Black Cat, Peter finding love as Spider-Man is an intriguing concept and one that could work well in a world that's forgotten the man beneath the mask. We're sure you'll have your own ideas and we'd love to hear those, along with what you think of ours, in the comments section.
In the meantime, take a look through these casting suggestions by hitting the "Next" button below!
8. Tati Gabrielle
Tati Gabrielle has already proved she has chemistry with Tom Holland after sharing the screen with him in Sony's fun action romp Uncharted.
The actress has no issue with convincingly playing a badass and could bring an edge and sense of danger to Felicia Hardy which emphasises what a dark place Peter Parker finds himself in. After all, Black Cat did start her comic book story off as a thief and reluctant foe to the web-slinger.
With the next trilogy expected to shift the focus to street-level crime, Black Cat's inclusion makes all the sense in the world and we think Gabrielle would knock this role of the park. That's evident from her impressive work in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, The Owl House, and You.
Felicia is a hard character to cast in terms of age (as you'll soon see) but Gabrielle is ideal in that respect as well.
7. Anya Taylor-Joy
You'll find a lot of talented performers throughout this feature, but we'd be lying to say we're not kicking things off with our favourite. Anya Taylor-Joy has proven herself an immense talent in recent years, delivering unmissable performances in everything from The Queen's Gambit to The New Mutants and Last Night in Soho.
Felicia Hardy is an exciting, layered character, but also one who oozes sex appeal. Taylor-Joy's previous performances show she's capable of effectively portraying both sides of Black Cat and this feels very much like the superhero movie role she deserves.
Nabbing the actress for the MCU would be huge for Marvel Studios and even bigger for Sony Pictures, especially if they ultimately decide to give this vigilante her own movie.
Taylor-Joy being given the opportunity to explore Black Cat over the course of a new Spider-Man trilogy is a must, and we'd have complete faith in this actress being the one to bring Felicia to life in a way that does her comic book counterpart justice.
6. Alexandra Daddario
Alexandra Daddario has a long list of credits to her name, but the fact that the True Detective and Baywatch star has yet to appear in a major superhero franchise is definitely a surprise.
When it comes to a character like Black Cat, casting Daddario would certainly make fans happy. Why? Well, the actress looks like she's been pulled straight out of the pages of the comic books for starters, and she has enough action movie credentials for us to be confident in her abilities.
While we're not anticipating (or hoping) for an overly sexualised version of Felicia Hardy, the character's seductive nature has played into many of her best stories. That's something Daddario definitely exudes and given what a talent she is, the actress is worthy of a place on this list, even if she is a little older than Holland at 37.
We just need to hope Marvel Studios/Sony Pictures don't overlook her!
5. Daisy Ridley
Some time ago, it was rumoured that Marvel Studios was eyeing Star Wars' Daisy Ridley for a role in the MCU. Despite how poorly Rey was written at times, the then-newcomer did a superb job in those sequels and has proven herself a talent in the likes of Ophelia and Chaos Walking.
While there were short-lived rumblings about Ridley suiting up as Spider-Woman in Sony's Spider-Man Universe, we actually think Black Cat would be a better fit for the actress.
Some of you might not agree with that statement, but looking beyond the often overly sexualised portrayal of Felicia on the page, we're confident the stunning Brit could be a perfect fit for the cat burglar. It would give Ridley the opportunity to do something totally different, reuniting with Holland to recapture the chemistry they shared in the otherwise underwhelming Chaos Walking.
We have a good feeling about this one and think Ridley would surprise a lot of doubters.
4. Lana Condor
Lana Condor has come a long way from being underutilized as Jubilee in Fox's X-Men movies, and has received widespread acclaim for her work in To All the Boys. She's also impressed in the likes of Deadly Class and Alita: Battle Angel, so we'd love to see Condor get a shot at a role like Black Cat.
You have to believe Spider-Man 4 would probably serve as an origin story of sorts for Felicia Hardy, so casting a younger actress like Condor could be key to making sure that works.
There's definitely something to be said for putting the spotlight on a slightly more experienced Black Cat on screen, but following Felicia from being her father's partner right up until she's a master thief in her own right would be a total blast, and a story we think Condor could end up doing justice.
She's a real talent and deserves the opportunity to showcase that in a major franchise.
3. Ana de Armas
Ana de Armas has been a rising star for some time now, stealing the show in movies like Blade Runner 2049 and Knives Out. However, we were particularly impressed by her work in No Time to Die.
Despite only having a minor supporting role in the latest James Bond movie, de Armas proved herself an incredibly likeable action star, delivering enough of a badass, memorable performance to leave 007 fans wanting Paloma to receive her own spinoff. If she can bring that same level of energy and intensity to the MCU, then who better for her to play than Black Cat?
Honestly, we think she'd be perfect for the role, and it's not remotely difficult to picture her Felicia Hardy running circles around the hapless Peter Parker.
De Armas is another actress who would be a massive get for Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures, and a role like this one could be what firmly establishes her as a huge star in Hollywood.
2. Emma Watson
Since concluding work on the Harry Potter franchise, Emma Watson has chosen her projects carefully, and that's benefitted her career massively (especially compared to Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint).
Choosing to play Belle in Beauty and the Beast proves that she's not against the idea of starring in another big franchise, but could the English actress be tempted to take a crack at a superhero role?
Watson spends a good chunk of her time advocating for the rights of women. So, providing the script is powerful enough and takes Black Cat on a thoughtful, impactful journey, then we see no reason why she wouldn't at least consider breathing life into a character who would really challenge her as a performer.
We don't think it would necessarily happen, but it would definitely be an interesting casting pick!
1. Freya Allan
Freya Allan's hair obviously makes it slightly easier to visualise her as Black Cat, but we think it's about time she stop wasting her talents in Netflix's so-so adaptation of The Witcher.
The upcoming Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes movie will be a good test of British actresses' star power, but we're sure she has what it takes to hold her own alongside Holland. Making Felicia the same college age as Peter would be similar to what we saw in Spider-Man: The Animated Series and she could be a fellow student and vigilante in a New York that's now run by Mayor Wilson Fisk.
The Witcher has proved she's handy in a fight and Allan most definitely looks the part, particularly when you compare her to Insomniac's Black Cat, for example.
Now, we just have to hope Sony abandons plans for a solo outing and allows this character to share the screen with Spidey...