Yesterday, news first broke that Sam Raimi and Co. are currently casting Spider-Man 4 via an unconfirmed rumor on mania.com that Rachel McAdams was being looked at for the part of Felicia Hardy, who fans will know is also the Webslinger’s sometimes-villian, sometimes-ally Black Cat.

/film now has also received word that there indeed does seem to be a new female lead being cast in the movie, which lends credence to the Black Cat rumor. Their source has Romola Garai auditioning for a role, who you may remember as the age 18 Briony Tallis in Atonement or Siobahn in the excellent Inside I’m Dancing (also known Stateside as Rory O’Shea Was Here). So what we can surmise based off these reports is this: it appears that Black Cat may be in Spider-Man 4, and that McAdams and Garai are both in the running for the role.

More details after the jump.

The mania.com article goes on to say that Sony is also casting another male villain, which further diminishes the likelihood of The Lizard appearing in the film (as Dylan Baker has long been cast in that role). It looks like it’ll be a two-villain movie, the Black Cat being one (but don’t be surprised if she makes a turn over to the good side by the third act) and an as-yet unnamed male villain for the second.

As for who should play the role of Black Cat, I think both McAdams and Garai are strong choices. They’ve shown considerable range and charm in the past, though I feel like Garai is less likely simply because the British actress is not as well established here in the States. For a character that seems pretty ripe for a spin-off, it makes sense that the producers would want a better known star that could potentially carry her own movie. But while McAdams is absolutely my favorite actress of her generation, I feel like this is the type of role that she has turned down in the past before. She has shied away from the big-budget, summer blockbuster-type movies in the past, though I’ll admit I’d be curious as hell to see her in the role. McAdams has that right mix of allure and talent, plus she’s shown that she can do sassy (which Felicia Hardy is plenty) with Mean Girls and The Family Stone.

How about you guys, any thoughts on who would make a good Black Cat? I know Eliza Dushku has campaigned for the role in the past, anyone else worth adding to the conversation? In any case, we’ll keep you posted as this develops.

Tags: Rachel McAdams, Romola Garai, Sam Raimi, Spider-Man 4, Spiderman 4