Black Phone Star Stakes Her Claim for a Marvel Role

In The Black Phone and its new sequel, Madeleine McGraw plays a young woman whose incredible powers saddle her with great responsibility. And she’s ready to play another.

Talking with The Hollywood Reporter about taking the lead in Black Phone 2, McGraw took her shot at Marvel, launching her request like she’s launching a web. “I would do anything to play Spider-Gwen in a movie or any Spider-Man character,” she declared. “That is literally my dream. That is easily one of my dream roles. I am just such a big Spider-Man fan, and that whole universe draws me in so deeply.”

McGraw’s certainly not alone. Introduced in 2014’s Edge of Spider-Verse #2, by Jason Latour and Robbi Rodriguez, Spider-Gwen (also named Ghost-Spider or Spider-Woman) has become one of the most popular characters in superhero media. Part of that popularity owes to her unique place in Marvel history. Gwen Stacy was Spider-Man’s beloved girlfriend, whose death in the landmark 1973 storyline “The Night Gwen Stacy Died” ushered in a darker and more “mature” age of comic books. The alternate reality version created by Latour and Rodriguez reinvented the character, turning her from Peter Parker’s dead girlfriend into a hero in her own right.

And then, of course, there are the hit movies Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, in which she plays a key part. Hailee Steinfeld does an incredible job voicing Gwen in those films, bringing to life her rebellious spirit and love for her father, the equally often-doomed Captain Stacy. But, of course, Steinfeld cannot play Gwen when she inevitably arrives in the MCU because she’s already playing Kate Bishop, the second Hawkeye.

Thus, there’s room for McGraw to take the part. But the Gwen that McGraw plays in The Black Phone has psychic abilities, visions that allow her to connect with spirits and see the future and past. Will she be able to do the more physically demanding work a Marvel movie requires?

Anyone who sees Black Phone 2 knows the answer is “Yes.” The sequel puts Gwen through many A Nightmare on Elm Street-style attacks, flinging her around the room, which McGraw did herself. “I got to do almost all my own stunts, which was so exciting. I’ve never really gotten the chance to take that much initiative before, but Scott [Derrickson, director] knows how much I love getting to do stunts,” she enthused.” In fact, that’s one of the main things that draws her to Spider-Gwen.” I want to do those stunts,” she admitted.

Of course, given that Spider-Gwen is one of the most popular characters in the Marvel bullpen, taking on the part is a big responsibility. But as her comments indicated, McGraw is ready for that great responsibility. And anyone who has seen her fantastic performance in the Black Phone movies can tell you she has the great power to go with it.

Black Phone 2 is now in theaters.