Actress Kate Hudson shared that she almost took on the role of Mary Jane Watson in the 2002 “Spider-Man” movie, but ultimately, she decided against it. The iconic role was eventually played by Kirsten Dunst.
Reflecting on her decision, Hudson said, “It’s one of those things where I look back like, ‘That would have been nice to be in a ‘Spider-Man’ movie.’” During an interview on “Watch What Happens Live” with host Andy Cohen, she also mentioned the film she chose instead.
She explained, “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.” “Four Feathers,” a war drama featuring Hudson, Ledger, Djimon Hounsou, and Wes Bentley, was released a few months after “Spider-Man.”
Hudson added, “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).’”
The “Spider-Man” franchise went on to gross an impressive $826 million, leading to a trilogy featuring Tobey Maguire and Dunst, with all three films directed by Sam Raimi. Maguire took off his web-shooters after “Spider-Man 3” in 2007 but made a comeback in the MCU’s universe-crossing film “Spider-Man: No Way Home” in 2021.
Hudson expressed mixed feelings about the missed opportunity, stating, “It doesn’t feel good to talk about it ’cause the people who are in the movie are the right people, and your circumstances in life happen the way they happen.”
Additionally, she revealed that she has turned down offers for movies that would pair her with her mother, actress Goldie Hawn. “It’s gotta be really funny. It’s gotta hit in a different way. We think about it; it’s just we haven’t read it yet. We haven’t figured that one out,” she said.