RUMOR: Zooey Deschanel To Play Betty Brant?

Yet another one of my hopefuls for Spider-Man is linked for a supporting a role (previously John Slattery). Zooey Deschanel (Hitchhikers Guide, 500 Days of Summer, Your Highness) who I had pegged for the role of Betty Brant is in mind for the part. It's expected like Mary Jane she will evolve into a love interest in future films. In other news it has been confirmed the studio will not include MJ in the first film most likely to avoid a love triangle and keep budget costs down.

While some of the actors/characters haven't been officially confirmed the cast could look like this Andrew Garfield (Peter), Emma Stone (Gwen), Rhys Ifans (Dr. Connors/Lizard), Martin Sheen (Uncle Ben), Sally Field (Aunt May) and John Slattery (J. Joanh Jameson). With the possible addition of Zooey (Betty). The combination of the cast, director Marc Webb and script from James Vanderbilt (Zodiac) this film seems like it could rival Raimi's beyond previous expectations.