Anne Hathaway, Angelina Jolie Spied for ‘Spider-Man 4′

Who would have expected this cast list?

The globally renowned story of Peter Parker, a New York native who was bitten by a radioactive spider, leading to his transformation into the legendary superhero Spider-Man, conveys a central moral lesson: “With great power comes great responsibility.” This classic tale has seen numerous reinterpretations across various media, including animated adaptations, live-action films, and more.

Related: Report: ‘Spider-Man’ Star Jumps Ship to DC’s ‘Superman’ Reboot

The Marvel Comics’ legendary tale introduces a beloved ensemble of characters, such as Uncle Ben, Aunt May, Mary Jane Watson, Harry Osborne, the Green Goblin/Norman Osborn, and Doc Ock/Doctor Octopus/Otto Octavius. The Spider-Man narrative has undergone various reinterpretations across a wide range of media, including animated renditions, live-action movies, and more, cementing its position as an enduring classic in the world of superhero narratives.

Throughout the years, multiple actors have taken on the legendary Spider-Man character in film adaptations inspired by the Marvel Comics created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee. Tobey Maguire portrayed Spider-Man in Sam Raimi’s 2002 film, followed by Andrew Garfield in 2012’s The Amazing Spider-Man. Tom Holland, first introduced in Captain America: Civil War (2016), assumed the lead role in his Spider-Man series, commencing with Spider-Man: Homecoming in 2017. Additionally, he appeared in Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) and the 2021 release Spider-Man: No Way Home, sharing the screen with Maguire and Garfield.

Sony Pictures Entertainment’s Spider-Verse stands as one of the Spider-Man franchise’s notable successes, beginning with 2018’s sleeper hit Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. It has now even been integrated into the MCU, evident through references to Tom Holland’s Spider-Man in the most recent Miles Morales-centric film, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023), directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller.

Related: Marvel Star Addresses New Sam Raimi ‘Spider-Man 4’ Movie

A Potential Spider-Man 4 Cast

With the release of “The MCU: An Official Timeline”, an official Marvel Studios book with a foreword by Marvel President Kevin Feige, it was recently revealed that a surprising cast list was in Marvel’s sights for Spider-Man 4. The film would have been led by director Sam Raimi, and starred a rather intriguing cast of A-List stars — including John Malkovich as the Vulture, Anne Hathaway as Felicia Hardy, and even Angelina Jolie for the Vulturess.

It was also reported that Raim eventually departed the film due to “quality and profitability concerns”:

John Malkovich and Anne Hathaway would have played Vulture and Felicia Hardy in ‘SPIDER-MAN 4,’ as previously reported. Angelina Jolie was tapped for Vulturess – Vulture’s daughter.

Sam Raimi ultimately left because of quality and profitability concerns as he couldn’t see how to turn profits on a film that could cost nearly $400M.

(via The MCU: An Official Timeline)

John Malkovich and Anne Hathaway would have played Vulture and Felicia Hardy in 'SPIDER-MAN 4,' as previously reported. Angelina Jolie was tapped for Vulturess – Vulture’s daughter.

Sam Raimi ultimately left because of quality and profitability concerns as he couldn’t see how… pic.twitter.com/EXMPgbkcTZ

— FandomWire (@FandomWire) October 27, 2023

The “what if” scenario for this film is definitely fascinating, and many fans have begun to weigh in.

X (formerly Twitter) user Matt Blake is relieved that the film never got made:

Oh god thank the LORD we never got that film. That’s just AWFUL casting all around. Don’t get me wrong, they’re all brilliant actors in their own right, but they just don’t work for those characters or that universe. Would’ve been horrific.

Oh god thank the LORD we never got that film. That's just AWFUL casting all around. Don't get me wrong, they're all brilliant actors in their own right, but they just don't work for those characters or that universe. Would've been horrific.

— Matt Blake (@mattblake94) October 28, 2023

Others, meanwhile, remain firmly in the camp of “regret”, like @epicberserker believes:

No we were robbed

No we were robbed

— epicberserk3r (@epicberserker) October 28, 2023

The alternate universe where this version of Spider-Man 4 directed by Sam Raimi would have definitely been a wild one.

Well, seeing as Marvel Studios is still in its Multiverse Saga era, if there’s enough fan traction — who’s to say some Multiversal Variants of Michael Keaton’s Vulture won’t pop up in the MCU proper? Anything’s up for grabs in Avengers: Secret Wars, according to Feige, after all.

Do you think this cast for Spider-Man 4 would have made a good movie? 

This post originally appeared on Inside the Magic.