Sony has been making a concerted effort to have female superheroes be a key part of their Spider-verse for years, long before Venom came along. Now they’re taking it up a notch by landing one of the most sought-after directors in the business, Booksmart‘s Olivia Wilde, to develop and helm a secret Marvel movie with a female-lead.
While unconfirmed, Deadline‘s report says Spider-Woman will be at the center of this mysterious new project. Wilde will direct and co-write the script with her Booksmart writing partner, Katie Silberman, with Amy Pascal producing.
Wilde’s schedule nearly caused her to turn down the Marvel flick, as she’s been adding various projects at a pretty rapid clip. She’s currently working on the psychological thriller Don’t Worry, Darling, and has an untitled holiday movie with Silberman.
Spider-Woman is a character that has seen a number of iterations since the ’70s. She’s most frequently associated with Jessica Drew, who eventually became a member of SHIELD and also an Avenger. Others who have taken the mantle include Mattie Franklin, Jessica Carpenter, Gwen Stacy and Mary Jane Watson, just to name a few. The Spider-Gwen version was most recently seen in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and is expected to get a spinoff of her own.
The hiring of Wilde makes her the second woman to direct a Marvel film under Sony’s Spider-Man brand. A Madame Web film has S.J. Clarkson as director, while a Silver Sable/Black Cat project remains in the works.
No word on the direction of Wilde’s Spider-Woman movie and how much it’ll connect with the likes of Venom and Morbius. I’ll be very curious to see if Wilde turns to any of her Booksmart stars for a role. Would it be too much to hope for the sight of Billie Lourd web-slinging from the rooftops?
— olivia wilde (@oliviawilde) August 19, 2020
