Injured 'Spider-Man' Actress Officially Leaves Broadway Show

Natalie Mendoza: “It has been a difficult decision to make, but I regret that I am unable to continue on Spider-Man as I recover from my injury."

Actress Natalie Mendoza is officially leaving the Broadway production of Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark.

Lead Producer Michael Cohl announced in a press release Thursday that Mendoza, who helped create the role of the character Arachne over the last six months, was leaving. Mendoza had suffered a concussion last month during the production's first preview performance. Though she returned three days later, she took another two weeks off after having nausea and a headache following her performance that consisted of flying sequences where she was spun upside-down.

In a statement, Mendoza said, “It has been a difficult decision to make, but I regret that I am unable to continue on Spider-Man as I recover from my injury.  I wish Julie (Taymor, the director) and the cast and crew every success with this production.”

Director Julie Taymor said: “Natalie is a talented performer.  We’ve appreciated her contributions to the show and we wish her all the best.”

Mendoza is one of four actors to suffer injuries from the $65 million production which has seen its opening night pushed back four weeks to February 7.