Sam Raimi Shuts Down SPIDER-MAN 4 Villain Rumors Nearly Two Decades Later

Almost 20 years after Spider-Man 3 hit theaters, Sam Raimi is still being asked about the movie that never happened. This time, the filmmaker is clearing the air on an old piece of internet lore tied to the long-canceled Spider-Man 4, specifically a rumor involving Rachel McAdams and a certain fan-favorite Marvel villain.

While promoting his new film Send Help, which reunites him with McAdams, Raimi spoke with CinemaBlend and was asked directly about reports that once claimed the actress was in talks to play Black Cat in Spider-Man 4. He said he had no idea where the story came from and made it clear the rumor never lined up with reality.

“We never had auditions for a female villain that I’m aware of,” he explained, also dismissing claims that McAdams ever tested for a role in the movie.

That rumor has been floating around since before Spider-Man 4 officially fell apart, but this isn’t the first time it’s been debunked. McAdams herself shut it down years ago. Back in the day, saying:

“That’s a total rumor, I have to say. I was hanging out in Toronto the other day, and someone came up to me and said, ‘I just heard you’re doing Spider-Man 4.‘ And I said, ‘Really? No one told me!’ It’s not true”

Sony Pictures even backed her up at the time, with a representative reportedly adding, “It’s an internet rumor, as so many things are these days.”

What did come a little closer to reality was Raimi’s interest in John Malkovich. Raimi confirmed that he had conversations with the actor about playing The Vulture, which would’ve been a major get for the franchise.

“He was wonderful, and we got along great. But the movie never went.”

Plans were forming for Spider-Man 4, talent was circling, and then everything stopped. Since then, fans have wondered if Raimi’s version of the web-slinger could ever return. Raimi recently addressed that too, and the answer is a pretty firm no.

Raimi said it wouldn’t “be right for [him] to go back and try and resurrect [his] version of this story,” especially with Marvel and Sony focused on the current iteration of Spider-Man. That version, played by Tom Holland, is set to return in July 2026’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

So there you have it. No Black Cat. No secret auditions. No hidden Spider-Man 4 waiting in the wings. Just another long-running comic book rumor finally getting the official shutdown, almost two decades later.