Betty Brant (Elizabeth Banks)

Betty Brant is a supporting character in the Spider-Man comics published by Marvel. She was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko in 1963. In Sam Raimi's Spider-Man film series she was portrayed by actress Elizabeth Banks.

Spider-Man
Betty Brant is one of the mud racket paper The Daily Bugle's staff and J. Jonah Jameson's secretary. Brandt was usually seen either passing on messages to Jameson or receiving curt orders from him. While she never dates Peter, a subtle, mutual attraction to him is apparent between the pair, similair to that of Miss Moneypenny and James Bond's relationship in Eon's films.

Spider-Man 2
At the start of the film Betty states that she has given Peter advances on his freelance pay while Peter is struggling to make ends meet and pay his rent to landlord Mr. Ditkovich after Mr. Aziz fired him from his other part-time job at Joe's Pizza. She later watches Jameson wear the suit Spider-Man abandoned in a state of confusion and surprise alongside Robbie Robertson and Hoffman.

Spider-Man 3
Betty did find a way of getting her comeuppance on her boss, by being tasked by his wife to inform him to avoid getting agitated and to remember to take his numerous medications, which she does to comic effect through a loud buzzing intercom. Later in the film she is hit on by Eddie Brock, whom she visibly dislikes, and then a symbiote-influenced Peter, which she is visibly attracted to, only to be interrupted abruptly by Jameson and Robbie Robertson.

Production
Elizabeth Banks originally auditioned for the part of Mary Jane Watson. Unsuccessful, she still managed to impress the casters and was later given the part of Betty Brant. in a 2008 interview she said "The casting director called and said, ‘As a consolation prize essentially, do you want to be Betty Brant?’ So it started out as a consolation prize and it’s become a favor.” In the same interview she stated that she was uncertain if she would return for Spider-Man 4, stating she would only do so if her part became more important.