Rachel McAdams to play Black Cat in Spider-Man 4?

With appearances in this year's State of Play, The Time Traveller's Wife, and the upcoming Sherlock Holmes, Rachel McAdams is enjoying a Sam Worthington-esque bout of sudden multiplex ubiquity. This popularity with casting agents shows no immediate signs of abating either, with news that McAdams is apparently a leading contender to appear as the Black Cat in Spider-Man 4.

Mania.com has been informed by 'reliable sources' that McAdams has met with the movie's producers, with a view to squeezing herself into the Black Cat's bodysuit. Real name Felicia Hardy, the Black Cat made her comic book debut as an opponent for Spider-Man, before latterly becoming an ally, and eventually a lover of Peter Parker. This last character point suggests that director Sam Raimi might be planning a triangulated romance storyline for Spider-Man 4, having trod similar ground to not particularly enthralling effect in episode three. McAdams might not be the only contender for the part of the Black Cat though, with Atonement actress Romolai Garai revealing to The Observer that she has auditioned for an unnamed female role in the film, a process she described as 'the acting equivalent of the London Marathon... it's important to try your best as long as you understand that you aren't going to win.'

Mania's sources also suggest that, like 2007's Spider-Man 3, the wall-crawler's fourth cinematic outing will feature not one, but two super-powered foes. Casting is reputedly ongoing for a male villain, suggesting the nemesis won't be the Lizard, whose alter-ego Curt Connors has already been played by Dylan Baker in the two preceding flicks. However, if Raimi and screenwriter Gary Ross (Pleasantville and Seabiscuit) are still searching for a foe, then might I suggest the terrifying Spider-Slayer from Spider-Man #25? Pretty scary stuff, I think you'll agree...