SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY Villain Role Was Turned Down by Anne Hathaway and Sarah Snook Before Marvel Changed Course
Sometimes the most interesting developments during a film production happen in the space between who signed on and who didn't, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day has one of those stories.
Industry insider Jeff Sneider recently shed some light on a villain role that went through a significant evolution during the film's pre-production, and it all started with two very prominent names.
According to Sneider, Anne Hathaway and Sarah Snook were both approached for what was described as an older female antagonist role early in development. Neither of them took it.
"Those were like legit rumours, and I'd heard that basically Anne Hathaway passed, and… Sarah Snook passed," Sneider said.
That's a pretty interesting pair of rejections when you think about it. Hathaway is a household name with superhero franchise experience and enormous pull. Snook just finished a career-defining run on Succession and has since been in high demand.
The fact that both of them reportedly passed on the same role is significant on its own, but what happened next is arguably just as interesting.
Marvel, apparently, took note. Rather than simply recasting the part with another high-profile name, the studio reportedly paused and reconsidered the whole shape of the character.
Sneider explained, "Once those 2 passed… Marvel was like, hmm. Should we just beef up Jean's role a little bit?" That pivot points to a pretty flexible creative process, one where the script isn't necessarily locked in stone until the right pieces fall into place.
Sneider went further, framing the situation not as a setback but as a natural part of how productions actually work. "Sometimes you have to listen to the talent… if the talent's not responding to the character or role… I think that they pivoted a little bit," he said.
He also noted that the role may have been significantly reworked in the process, adding, "maybe they rewrote it, made it a smaller part, got an older man to play it instead."
That last detail opens up some genuine speculation. Who ended up in that seat? And how different does the finished film look compared to whatever version Hathaway and Snook were reading? We don't have those answers yet.
What this does tell us is that Brand New Day went through real creative evolution behind the scenes, with Marvel showing a willingness to reshape their storytelling around the realities of casting rather than forcing something that wasn't working. Whether that flexibility pays off on screen remains to be seen.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day hits theaters on July 31, 2026.