Olivia Wilde slyly responds to reports that she is developing and directing a female-centric Sony Marvel movie, which is likely Spider-Woman. Wilde is a talent perhaps best known for her work in front of the camera, such as on House and in films like Tron: Legacy, Cowboys & Aliens, The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, and The Lazarus Effect. She recently made the transition to directing with the coming-of-age comedy Booksmart and has followed that up with the psychological thriller ‘Don't Worry Darling’.
Wilde and Marvel first became linked in 2019 when the director expressed interest in making a Marvel movie. Though this seemed like wishful thinking at the time, it was reported a year later that Wilde had agreed to develop and direct a Marvel movie for Sony centered around a female character. Wilde seemingly confirmed suspicions it would be about Jessica Drew, also known as Spider-Woman, when she tweeted a spider emoji in response to the news. Since then, there hasn't been any substantial updates on Wilde's top-secret Marvel project.
Now, during a recent interview while promoting ‘Don't Worry Darling’, Wilde responds to reports about her Marvel movie. Though she can't comment directly on the secretive project, Wilde does praise the "Marvel approach of allowing newer filmmakers to come into the fold." The director also ends her comments with a sly smile before blurting out, “But that would be cool.”
Though Sony or Marvel hasn't said anything about the matter, Wilde's spider emoji response a few years ago coupled with these sly comments are a fairly good indication she is working on something. If it is in fact Spider-Woman, it would be the second female-centric entry into Sony's Spider-Man Universe after S. J. Clarkson's Madame Web movie starring Dakota Johnson. But before then, the next installment into the SSU will be Aaron Taylor-Johnson's Kraven the Hunter, which is releasing in January 2023.
With Booksmart receiving universal critical acclaim and Don't Worry Darling shaping up to be another promising film, making the leap to a Marvel blockbuster would be an appropriate next step for Wilde's career at this point. As she even mentions, Marvel has a tendency to bring up-and-coming filmmakers into the fold because of the unique vision they offer, with Destin Daniel Cretton and Chloé Zhao being recent examples in the MCU. The SSU was knocked down a peg after the critical and commercial failure of Morbius, and if a lack of talented filmmakers is to blame, Wilde could be the perfect solution to helm a Spider-Woman movie.