Yesterday, we learned that Booksmart director Olivia Wilde has signed up to take the helm of what's believed to be a Spider-Woman movie for Sony Pictures. The actress turned filmmaker can bring a lot to that project, and the fact producers Avi Arad and Matt Tolmach weren't mentioned when the news broke has a lot of fans thinking this could end up being pretty great.
It's still early days, of course, but there's already a lot of speculation about who could take on the role of Jessica Drew in the SPUMC (Sony Pictures' Universe of Marvel Characters).
With that in mind, we're taking a look at 10 of the most likely possibilities. Spider-Woman is a fascinating character and much more than just a female version of Spider-Man; she's a superspy, and a hero with her own unique set of powers which are completely unrelated to Peter Parker's skill set.
We think you'll find this makes for interesting reading, so hit the "Next" button to see the top contenders!
10. Alicia Vikander
Alicia Vikander deserved better than
Tomb Raider, a movie that proved to be an underwhelming adaptation of the hit video game series. The talented actress did a great job as Lara Croft, though, and established herself as being someone more than capable of playing a legitimate badass warrior.
That's a description that perfectly suits Jessica Drew, and Vikander definitely has the right look to play Spider-Woman. Bear in mind that she's an Academy Award winner too, so people would no doubt take this project a whole lot more seriously with someone as talented as her on screen.
Spider-Woman has plenty of impressive powers, but she needs to be formidable from a physical standpoint, and that's why Vikander's name is one that instantly leaps off the page.
9. Natalia Reyes
Terminator: Dark Fate disappointed at the box office when it was released last October despite being perhaps the best instalment of the franchise since
Terminator 2: Judgement Day. Natalia Reyes deserves a lot of credit for that, though, because she proved to be a compelling and exciting presence in the long-running series who definitely left us wanting more.
That probably won't happen, of course, but there's nothing to say she can't lend her skills to another big budget blockbuster. Reyes is another exciting possibility for Jessica Drew and it's not at all hard to imagine her portraying the tough as nails spy.
She could also bring a vulnerability to Spider-Woman which may be needed, especially if she ends up going on the run from whatever organisation she was working for before suiting up (in the comics, she was a double agent for S.H.I.E.L.D. and HYDRA but that likely won't be touched on in the SUMC).
8. Olivia Wilde
Why not?
While the actress is making waves as a director, there's really no reason she couldn't also step in front of the camera to play Jessica Drew as well. Bear in mind that the character has been portrayed as a seasoned S.H.I.E.L.D. agent in the comic books, not to mention the mother of a young child.
That makes Wilde the perfect age for a slightly more mature version of Spider-Woman, and the beautiful actress most definitely looks the part of the webbed warrior.
The chances of this happening are slim, but directors have been known to also perform in the projects they take charge of, so it's certainly not outside the realm of possibility. We'll just have to wait and see, but someone Wilde has collaborated with in the past is someone we'll get to a little later here.
7. Katherine Langford
Katherine Langford ended up being cut from
Avengers: Endgame, but she's made an impact in
13 Reasons Why and
Knives Out, so we know that the actress is a talent worth watching. In terms of appearance, she looks like a Jessica Drew who has just been torn straight from the pages of the comics, but a role like this requires more than just the right look.
In Langford's case, it's just a bonus, as she's one heck of a talent and the right age to make a team-up of sorts with Tom Holland's Spider-Man a very real and exciting possibility.
The actress has some serious dramatic chops, and could make Jessica both a character who people fall in love with and someone they soon realise is a legitimate badass. If Sony is looking for someone to play Spider-Woman they can turn into a star, Langford is a downright excellent choice.
6. Ana de Armas
Ana de Armas first came to our attention in
Blade Runner 2049, but it was
Knives Out that really put the actress on the map. She delivered a phenomenal performance in the Rian Johnson helmed murder mystery, and there's now a huge amount of excitement to see her in action in
No Time to Die.
A
James Bond movie will be the perfect place for de Armas to get used to the spy world, and the Cuban-Spanish actress would undoubtedly be a superb addition to Sony's Spider-Man Universe.
If Sony Pictures is hoping to launch a whole new franchise with Spider-Woman, de Armas would definitely fit the bill, and at 31, she's the right age to play Jessica Drew over an entire series of movies.
5. Florence Pugh
Yes, Florence Pugh is about to make her Marvel Cinematic Universe debut, but if Yelena Belova is only going to be in
Black Widow, then there's no reason Sony Pictures can't be next to add her to a major superhero franchise. Her star is on the rise in a big way, and Pugh would add some legitimacy to the project as well.
That could be necessary for a movie many moviegoers will probably dismiss as "Spider-Man...but a girl!" and if you've seen Fighting With My Family, you'll know how tough Pugh comes across.
She also has an extremely likeable side, and that's essential for a hero who has a murky past and is no stranger to being a double agent. In some ways, this could be too similar to her role in the MCU as another Black Widow, but depending on what route Sony takes Spider-Woman in, there's no reason this couldn't work.
4. Jessica Henwick
Jessica Henwick recently revealed that she came close to playing Rey in the
Star Wars sequel trilogy, and that's something a lot of fans would have liked to see, especially after her work in
Iron Fist.
The Netflix series won the actress a lot of fans, but with her unlikely to get the opportunity to return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it would be great to see her instead suit up in the SUMC.
She could be a truly badass version of Spider-Woman, and has the fighting skills to make Jessica Drew feel like a true force to be reckoned with on the big screen. That's a must for this hero!
3. Rosa Salazar
Rosa Salazar is another up and comer who won't get the opportunity to return to the role that put her on the map.
Alita: Battle Angel boasted a huge budget (making it impossible for it to turn a decent profit), but Salazar's performance - which was heavily enhanced with CGI - stood out.
She's a likeable, talented presence who is no stranger to action, and she could bring a human quality to Jessica Drew which Tom Hardy's Eddie Brock, for example, was lacking.
He wasn't a character it was fun to spend time with until he transformed into Venom but Spider-Woman needs to be more than that, and we're confident Salazar has all the necessary qualities to make it work.
2. Lana Condor
Lana Condor had a bit part in
X-Men: Apocalypse as Jubilee, but she's since gone on to do much more than that. She's excelled in
To All the Boys I've Loved Before and its various sequels, while it was recently revealed that the actress also came close to landing the role of Rey in
Star Wars.
That aside, and Condor is another fresh face whose big break is surely on the horizon and it's not hard to see why she would make a good choice for a character such as this.
Yet again, she's not necessarily someone fans would suggest for the role, but if you can't picture her playing a badass superspy, we're not sure what to say! This would be something different, but that's no bad thing, and it would add a diverse and exciting talent to the planned movie.
1. Kaitlyn Dever
Kaitlyn Dever may not seem like the most obvious choice to play Spider-Woman, but she's an incredible actress who has delivered amazing performances in the likes of
Unbelievable and
Booksmart. The latter was obviously directed by Wilde, so a reunion with
Spider-Woman makes sense!
Remember, in the Ultimate Universe, Jessica Drew is a female clone of Peter Parker's, and with Sony not having access to S.H.I.E.L.D. and HYDRA, Sony could easily choose to take things in that direction.
In that case, Dever could be a perfect fit, and she would bring a youthful energy to the webbed warrior which helps her stand out as a vibrant and unique new addition to Sony's own shared world.