Marvel unveiled the first official look at the second live-action iteration of Black Cat, offering fans an early tease of the character's appearance in the upcoming Spider-Noir series. The Spider-Verse spin-off show is rolling out more promotional material ahead of its planned 2026 release on Prime Video and MGM+. Developed by Oren Uziel and co-showrun by Steve Lightfoot, Spider-Noir is set in an alternate universe and follows Nicolas Cage as Ben Reilly, aka The Spider.
Part of a mega sneak peek of Spider-Noir from Esquire, a new first look photo of Sinners' Li Jun Li as Cat Hardy, the series' take on the iconic Marvel character Black Cat. In Spider-Noir, Black Cat is reimagined as a classic film noir femme fatale, a 1930s twist on Felicia Hardy's typical seduction, who works as a nightclub singer and draws the main character into the series' central criminal conspiracy.
Uziel described her as an amalgamation of iconic noir screen sirens, with influences ranging from Rita Hayworth and Lauren Bacall to Kim Basinger.
This marks only the second time Black Cat has appeared in live-action, following Felicity Jones' portrayal of Felicia Hardy in 2014's The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Jones' brief turn as Felicia Hardy was generally well received by fans, who felt she showed strong potential with Andrew Garfield despite her limited screen time. However, the franchise's cancellation meant her arc never developed, leaving many viewers frustrated that she never got the chance to fully become Black Cat.
As a result, fans still argue that live-action has yet to deliver a proper Black Cat (who recently debuted on Disney+), leaving the door open for Cat Hardy in this new series.
Beyond Black Cat, Spider-Noir will introduce several major twists on the Spider-Man formula, including the option to watch the entire series in black and white or color and a new take on Flint Marko aka Sandman.
Cage told Esquire he had already seen all eight episodes, and writer Anthony Breznican revealed he had seen the first two, suggesting the show is either finished or close to completion and teasing a release within the next few months.
The Future of Black Cat in the MCU
Even with Cat Hardy debuting in Spider-Noir, the future of Black Cat in the MCU remains uncertain, especially as fans continue to be fond of a Felicia Hardy adaptation in a Tom Holland Spider-Man movie.
Now (presumably debunked) rumors linked Mikey Madison to a potential Spider-Man 4 role following her Oscar win, immediately reigniting speculation that Black Cat may finally be joining the MCU.
Black Cat is a loved character because she occupies a morally gray space for Peter, creating constant tension between romance and mistrust. Fans love her blend of flirtatious chemistry with Peter Parker, something that was recently explored in the PlayStation 5 Insomniac video games.
Brand New Day could be a good time to introduce Felicia, especially considering Zendaya's MJ is expected to have a new boyfriend after forgetting Peter's existence.
That said, with the massive list of expected heroes and villains in Holland's fourth Spidey film, Black Cat is not expected to come into the fold. For now, fans can enjoy Li Jun Li's new, upcoming 1930s adaptation.
