While we’ve seen some of Peter Parker’s love interests explored in previous movies like Gwen Stacy, Michelle Jones, and Liz Allan, there is one popular Spider-Man love interest that is yet to make her big-screen MCU debut — Black Cat.
The shocking ending of Spider-Man: No Way Home left a lot of fans devastated as their favorite ship was separated. With the multiverse at stake, Peter asked Dr. Strange to make it so that the whole world forgot who he was, including his friends and loved ones. Despite promising MJ that he could come back to her and make her remember, Peter ultimately chose to let her go.
This turn of events will undeniably change a lot of things in the next Spider-Man movie. One of the possibilities that this plot point may present is that Peter gets a new interest. Though the character of Felicia Hardy has been portrayed by Felicity Jones in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, she never got to don the Black Cat persona. Now that MJ seems to be out of the picture, this may be the MCU’s chance to introduce the fan favorite heroine, and here are 10 actresses who could bring her to life.
Anya Taylor-Joy
Anya Taylor-Joy is steadily becoming one of the most prominent names in Hollywood right now. At the young age of 26, she has already won a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild Award, as well as garnering multiple nominations for other awards. She received mainstream acclaim for her portrayal of Beth Harmon in the Netflix series, The Queen’s Gambit. Taylor-Joy would be the perfect actress to portray the cynicism and inner turmoil of Black Cat, especially as fans are aching for her to join the MCU.
China Anne McClain
With more than enough experience playing a superpowered heroine, and a successful career that’s been active since she was seven years old, China McClain should have absolutely no issues kicking butt as Black Cat in the MCU. The actress and singer is one of the most talented stars of her generation, and Marvel needs to snag her up very soon.
Ajiona Alexus
Best known for her roles in 13 Reasons Why and Black Mafia Family, Ajiona Alexus is a young rising star with a lot of promise. She started her career at a young age, featuring in episodes of shows like Grey’s Anatomy and Code Black. She also played the teenage version of Cookie Lyon in Empire. Alexus is another great actress to take on the role of Felicia Hardy, and she would fit into Marvel’s formula of bringing in lesser-known or upcoming talents, and giving them a bigger platform.
Isabela Merced
Isabela Merced got her start on Nickelodeon’s 100 Things to do Before High School but has since gone on to build successful careers as an actor and singer. She starred in Transformers: The Last Knight, Dora and the Lost City of Gold, Instant Family, and Sweet Girl. Despite her young age, she has taken on some mature roles that show that she is an actress to be reckoned with. She is a great actress to portray the emotionally charged story of Felicia Jones’s journey to becoming Black Cat.
Joey King
Joey King may be best known for her role as Elle Evans in Netflix’s The Kissing Booth, but in the years since then, she has proven herself to be an incredibly talented and versatile actress. From the critically acclaimed crime drama The Act to her recent role in Bullet Train, she has shown her range and ability to hold her own alongside big names.
Coco Jones
Coco Jones is a talented actress and singer who got her start on Disney Channel’s musical film Let It Shine. She’s featured in a few shows and movies over the years but gained more success starring as Hilary Banks in Peacock’s Bel-Air. She’s kickstarted her music career to acclaim from fans, but it’s hard to deny she’s a great actress who would do justice as the antihero Black Cat.
Halle Bailey
Another actress with a successful music career is Halle Bailey. She is more popularly known for her musical work with her sister in their music duo Chloe x Halle, but is set to be a huge breakout star in 2023. With a heavily anticipated turn as Ariel in the live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid, and a lead role in the upcoming reboot of The Color Purple, Halle Bailey is well on the rise. From her time on Grown-ish, it’s pretty clear that she can hold her own on screen, but a performance like Black Cat would be unlike anything she’s done so far. Bailey is also a forefront of fan casts for actresses who many can’t wait to see in the MCU, so what better way to introduce her than with the character.
Lovie Simone
Lovie Simone is a talented young actress best known for her role in shows like Greenleaf and Power Book III: Raising Kanan. She also starred in 2020’s The Craft remake, The Craft: Legacy. She is a vibrant actress with an edge that makes every character she plays worth watching. She is a great pick for Black Cat as she is sure to nail the bantering and flirty relationship that the character has with Peter Parker.
Blu Hunt
Blu Hunt has experience working on a Marvel project as she starred as Mirage in the X-Men movie, The New Mutants. She is also known for playing the final antagonist of The CW’s The Originals, The Hollow, or Inadu. She is a very talented young actress, and from the few roles we have seen her in so far, she would be a great pick to play the vigilante Black Cat.
Paris Berelc
Paris Berelc has been a superhero in the past- though that was on her Disney XD show, Mighty Med. The Filipino actress has managed to shed her Disney child star persona over the years thanks to shows like Netflix’s Alexa & Katie and movies like Hubie Halloween. Berelc’s dynamic and fun nature coupled with her stellar acting skills will be sure to make the character of Black Cat more intriguing as we watch her struggle with morality alongside Spider-Man .