Kate Hudson Reflects on Turning Down the ‘Spider-Man’ Role and Shares Her Thoughts on What Could Have Been
Following her Oscar-nominated breakout role, Kate Hudson had the opportunity to enter the Marvel universe, but ultimately opted out. The actress recently disclosed that she turned down the role of Mary Jane Watson in Sam Raimi’s 2002 film, Spider-Man. This pivotal role eventually went to Kirsten Dunst, who portrayed Mary Jane across all three films in the franchise.
On an episode of Watch What Happens Live, Hudson reflected on her decision. “Yes, I did,” she stated, adding, “And now that I look back, it’s one of those things where I look back like, ‘That would have been nice to be in a Spider-Man movie.’”
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Despite her regret, Hudson expressed gratitude for her experiences. “At the same time, I did a movie called Four Feathers. I got to meet Heath Ledger, who became a very good friend, and I got an experience that I would have never had. So part of me is like, ‘Life happens exactly in the way it’s supposed to.’”
Dunst, for her part, admitted the allure of the role, remarking, “I do look at that [movie] and I’m like, ‘Oh, it would’ve been fun to be her.’”
Hudson acknowledged that Dunst was the right choice for the iconic role. “When people say these things, it doesn’t feel good to talk about it, because the people who are in the movie are the right people, right?” she noted. “And your circumstances in life happen the way they happen.”
Dunst reprised her role as Mary Jane in Spider-Man 2 (2004) and Spider-Man 3 (2007). In a recent statement, she mentioned that she “would have” returned to the franchise if Marvel had reached out when Tobey Maguire returned as Peter Parker in Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021). With Raimi indicating he is “completely open” to directing another Spider-Man film, Dunst may have another opportunity to step back into the role.
