Why Heath Ledger Almost Made Kate Hudson Say Yes to Spider-Man
Kate Hudson turned down Mary Jane in Spider-Man, opting for The Four Feathers opposite Heath Ledger instead — a surprising detour from Sam Raimi’s 2002 blockbuster.
Turning down Mary Jane in a Spider-Man movie sounds like the kind of choice you only make in a dream. Kate Hudson made it in real life. And now she has thoughts about it.
Kate Hudson passed on Spider-Man to make The Four Feathers
Back in the early 2000s, Hudson was in the mix to play MJ in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man (2002). She said no and took The Four Feathers instead, opposite Heath Ledger. That movie ended up a flop, but the experience clearly meant a lot to her. On Watch What Happens Live, she explained why she is at peace with the trade-off (Variety carried the clip):
It's one of those things where I look back like, 'That would have been nice to be in a "Spider-Man" movie.' But 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.
In The Four Feathers, she played Ethne Eustace, the fiancee of Ledger's character, Harry Faversham. She's talked before about how much he meant to her. When Ledger died in 2008, she remembered him as the most gentle, honest, caring, and compassionate person (People).
So, any regrets?
Short answer: a little wistful, but no bitterness. Hudson admitted she still wonders what it would have been like to wear the red wig, while also giving credit where it's due.
A part of me is like, 'Life happens exactly the way it's supposed to. And so, I'm grateful for it. But I do look at it and I'm like, 'Aw, it would have been fun to be [Mary Jane].'
It doesn't feel good to talk about it cause the people who are in the movie are the right people.
Hard to argue. Kirsten Dunst stepped in, and after three movies with Tobey Maguire, she basically became the face of MJ for that era.
Quick refresher: the Spider-Man in question
- Title: Spider-Man (2002)
- Director: Sam Raimi
- Cast: Tobey Maguire, Willem Dafoe, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Cliff Robertson, Joe Manganiello
- Rotten Tomatoes: 90%
- Runtime: 2h 1m
If you want to revisit that trilogy (or check what might have been), all Spider-Man movies are currently streaming on Disney+ in the US.