Felica Hardy, better known as Black Cat, is a staple of Spider-Man lore, being a recurring character in not only Spider-Man comics but various videogames and animated series too. An anti-hero in the same vein as DC's Catwoman, Black Cat serves as a villain turned reluctant ally turned love interest to Spider-Man. To this day, their relationship is constantly in flux both romantically and professionally.
With the MCU's Spider-Man globe-trotting, spacefaring and multiversal adventures being wrapped up rather neatly recently, movie-goers are expecting Marvel Studios to continue Spidey's story with movies that will see him battling street-level foes. If this is so, there's never been a better time to introduce the silver-haired cat burglar to the MCU. However, the only speculation that remains is what actor will play her.
Anya Taylor-Joy
A recurring popular choice for Felica Hardy, Anya Taylor-Joy constantly comes up in Twitter and Reddit fan-casts for good reason.
Perhaps best known for her roles in The Queen's Gambit and The Witch, it's Taylor-Joy's performance in Last Night In Soho that sells her as a great Felica Hardy. In the role of Sandie, Anya Taylor-Joy delivers a confident yet embittered performance that would fit Felicia Hardy's character perfectly, especially contrasted with Tom Holland's performance. On top of this, she has an aesthetic that suits the feline anti-hero to a tee.
Elle Fanning
Ella Fanning can be seen giving an excellent performance as Catherine, Empress of Russia, in the ongoing series The Great. It's her work in The Neon Demon, however, that makes her a particularly good pick for Black Cat.
In the film, Fanning plays an aspiring model with a troubled past whose success swiftly turns her into a narcissist. This performance could translate well into a more sympathetic, troubled Felica Hardy that becomes the confident and mysterious Black Cat as a front.
Zazie Beetz
Despite already playing Domino in Deadpool 2, Disney's acquisition of FOX calls the Deadpool films' status as MCU canon into question. As such, she may be free to play other characters within the Marvel universe and who better than Black Cat?
Zazie Beetz could bring the cocky attitude of Domino and pair it with the impressive dramatic and comedic ability she exhibits in Atlanta to bring a deeply likable Felica Hardy to the MCU. Above all, it would be incredibly entertaining to see her interpretation of the character playing off of Holland's awkward Peter Parker.
Sydney Sweeney
News of Sydney Sweeney's casting in Madame Web, another one of Sony's numerous Spider-Man spin-offs, had fans predicting she would be playing Black Cat almost instantly.
Whether in the MCU or a Sony-owned spin-off universe, Sweeney would certainly make a great Felica Hardy. Her dramatic ability as seen in Euphoria would especially lend itself to the more adult tone Marvel Studios will likely opt for in their next Spider-Man movies, seeing as Peter will no longer be a high school student living with his aunt.
Sydney Chandler
Sydney Chandler is an up-and-coming actor that can be seen playing the role of Chrissie Hynde in Danny Boyle's Pistol and is truly one of the breakout performances of the show.
Chandler certainly has the cool factor needed to pull off the stylish and confident Felica Hardy as well as the capacity for vulnerability as can be seen in Pistol. Seeing her play a layered, conflicted Black Cat in this way could make for an interesting romantic dynamic between her and Spider-Man.
Natalia Dyer
With Stranger Things set to conclude after one more season, Natalia Dyer's schedule will be a lot less busy than usual and, as such, she'll be free to possibly take on a new long-running role like the Black Cat of the MCU.
Dyer might not be the obvious choice for the character but Marvel Studios does like to make surprising casting choices. Her unique aesthetic and charisma would make for an instantly likable Black Cat who Spidey would struggle to dislike despite her criminal actions.
Samara Weaving
Known best for her role in Ready Or Not, Samara Weaving's name has been brought up time and time again in many Black Cat fan casts. One only has to google "Samara Weaving Black Cat" to find dozens of fanmade photo edits of her as the character.
Weaving is no stranger to beating up bad guys in a superhero suit, already doing so in the G.I Joe spin-off Snake Eyes. Fans could easily see Samara leaning more into a no-nonsense, grizzled version of the character that's similar to her performance towards the end of Ready Or Not.
Margaret Qualley
Margaret Qualley has appeared in numerous popular works of the past few years including Once Upon A Time In Hollywood and Death Stranding, the Hideo Kojima video game. With this track record, perhaps it's about time she made her MCU debut.
Qualley would prove to be an excellent foil to Holland's Spider-Man, with her performance in Once Upon A Time in Hollywood lending itself to this. She would be great as an interpretation of Black Cat that sweeps Parker off his feet and takes his vigilante business much less seriously than he does.
Eiza González
Perhaps best recognized from her role in Baby Driver, Eiza González's entire being, from performance to appearance, just screams Black Cat.
Her role in Baby Driver as the flirtatious, murderous, and somewhat unhinged Darling could easily lend itself to a more unpredictable and villainous Black Cat should Marvel Studios wish to pursue the character's dark side. One could easily imagine González keeping Holland's Spider-Man on his toes, either as an unwilling ally against a common enemy or purely as the movie's villain.
Imogen Poots
Imogen Poots' acting career has spanned everything from 28 Weeks Later to Academy Award-winning The Father. She is yet to make an appearance in a superhero movie, however.
If Marvel Studios wanted to adapt Black Cat uniquely and surprisingly, Imogen Poots would make a great punk rock-esque version of the character that is less art thief and more petty criminal, complete with a similar look to the one she has in Green Room.