Sony Reportedly Scraps Olivia Wilde’s SPIDER-WOMAN Movie as Studio Becomes More Open to Working With Marvel Studios

Back in 2020, Sony Pictures revealed that Olivia Wilde was set to direct a Spider-Woman movie. It sounded like a big swing as a filmmaker with real creative momentum taking on one of Marvel’s most interesting female heroes. Then things went quiet.

According to insider Daniel Richtman, Sony has officially scrapped Wilde’s Spider-Woman project. The report follows earlier trade stories that claimed Sony had hit pause on several of its Spider-Man spinoffs after Kraven the Hunter crashed and burned hard at the box office.

With the studio rethinking its entire Marvel strategy, Spider-Woman has reportedly become another casualty of that reset.

Sony’s focus had already drifted elsewhere before this news broke. Instead of bringing Jessica Drew into the spotlight, the studio shifted toward Madame Web, a female-led project that explored other characters connected to the Spider mythos.

While Jessica wasn’t part of that film, it did feature Julia Cornwall, Anya Corazon, and Mattie Franklin, all characters who have worn the Spider-Girl or Spider-Woman mantle in Marvel Comics at different points.

Jessica Drew’s history is deeply tied to S.H.I.E.L.D. and The Avengers, connections Sony can’t fully explore on its own. For years, there have been rumors that Marvel Studios could eventually use the character in the MCU, similar to how Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch were shared between studios, even if the Spider-Woman name itself stayed off-limits.

Interestingly, Richtman’s report suggests Sony may finally be warming up to that idea. The studio is said to be more open to sharing its Marvel characters than it was in the past.

Previously, Sony blocked Marvel Studios from using characters like Kraven the Hunter in projects such as Black Panther. After Venom became a hit, Eddie Brock was also kept on a tight leash, only crossing over in those clunky, clearly mandated moments in Venom: Let There Be Carnage and Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Now, the door seems to be opening wider. With Marvel Studios reportedly mapping out major plans for the Symbiote starting with Spider-Man: Brand New Day, it feels increasingly likely Venom will properly enter the MCU. That could also clear a path for characters like Black Cat, Silver Sable, and other Spider-adjacent figures who were once lined up for standalone Sony movies that never inspired much confidence.

As for Spider-Woman, Wilde was clearly passionate about the project when it was announced. Speaking in 2020, she shared why the opportunity meant so much to her:

"Look, we are seeing this incredible influx of female directors and storytellers getting to take hold of this genre, of the superhero space, and infuse it with their own perspective. So, not only do I get to tell this story as a director, but I get to develop this story, and that was what made it so incredible for me."

"I'm just honored to be amongst this wave of women who are showing up and saying, 'We are not only going to step in and try and tell this story like men do, we're actually going to reframe the stories themselves.' And the industry is, as far as I can tell, really supportive of that.

“There is a sea change and it's because of these decades of trailblazers who demanded this over and over and over again and it's finally broken through and I'm very fortunate to be there with it."

It’s a shame that vision won’t get a chance to play out. Still, if this shift leads to Marvel Studios finally having access to more of the Spider-Man corner of the universe, the long-term payoff could be a big win for fans.