Inside the Mysterious Cancellation of Olivia Wilde’s Spider-Woman Movie: What Really Happened
Sony’s Spider-Woman movie, once rumored to be helmed by Olivia Wilde, has been scrapped, according to new reports—ending the secretive Marvel project before it ever swung into action.
Well, if you were holding out hope for a Spider-Woman movie directed by Olivia Wilde, looks like it’s time to let that one go. According to the latest rumor mill churned by Daniel Richtman (that guy pops up everywhere, doesn't he?), Sony has apparently canned Wilde’s secret Marvel project. And honestly, this news kind of tracks, given the state of Sony’s Spider-verse these days.
Wait, What Olivia Wilde Marvel Project?
A little rewind: Back in 2022, Wilde was being all mysterious in interviews, teasing some 'top-secret' Marvel deal she had going. When Variety asked about it, she basically shut down, spinning herself into the couch and raving about Marvel letting new filmmakers play in their sandbox. She never said 'Spider-Woman,' but that’s what everyone in Hollywood and on the internet assumed.
Sony and Marvel: The Neverending Franchise Shuffle
If this news is real—and with Sony and Marvel anything is on the table—the timing actually makes sense. Sony’s been churning out Spider-Man spin-offs with mixed reactions, from 'Venom' (not bad, actually) to 'Morbius' (let’s not talk about it), all building up to a
- 'Madame Web': That one landed with a thud.
- 'Kraven the Hunter': Coming soon, maybe, if interest rates don’t go up any further.
Word is, Sony’s now trying to fold their Spider-characters into the MCU 'properly,' which is probably code for 'Kevin Feige is in charge now, thanks.' If that’s true, they likely axed Wilde’s Spider-Woman plans to clear the decks for whatever hybrid Marvel-Sony plan comes next.
Spider-Woman: Who’s the Actual Star Here?
Whenever a Spider-Woman movie came up, nerds argued over which version we’d get—Jessica Drew (OG, British accent, plenty of sarcasm) or Julia Carpenter (the black suit one). Most made sense betting on Jessica Drew, since she’s the classic version and, honestly, fits the Marvel tone better.
For the trivia-inclined, here’s the character at a glance:
- Name: Jessica Miriam Drew
- First Appearance: Marvel Spotlight #32 (1977)
- Powers: Classic spider stuff—super strength, wall-crawling, plus venom blasts and pheromone control (which Marvel rarely explains)
- Backstory: Spent her childhood being treated with all kinds of weird spider serums after some radiation incident. Raised by Hydra for a while, made her way to S.H.I.E.L.D., kind of went everywhere
- Affiliations: Avengers, S.H.I.E.L.D., even hung with Hydra and the Skrulls during 'Secret Invasion'
- Onscreen History: Had an animated show in the ‘70s, plus cameos in 'Ultimate Spider-Man' and 'Marvel Rising'
Olivia Wilde: Career Highs, Career Lows
Can’t really talk about Wilde these days without mentioning the drama. After the critical hype for 'Don’t Worry Darling,' her directing career got swamped by feuds: Florence Pugh pretty much ghosted the promo tour, Shia LaBeouf got the boot (Wilde told Variety 'his process was not conducive to the ethos that I demand in my productions'), and then there was all the tabloid fodder about her getting together with Harry Styles right after splitting from Jason Sudeikis. Her own take on that, from a Vogue interview, was:
'It’s obviously really tempting to correct a false narrative. But I think what you realize is that when you’re really happy, it doesn’t matter what strangers think about you.'
Whether you’re Team Olivia or totally over the drama, it’s safe to say these headlines didn’t help her get another big studio gig lined up fast. Her next directing project, 'The Invite,' just wrapped filming in May 2025, but there’s no word on release yet.
Big Picture: So Is This Movie Actually Dead?
Given everything going on—Sony handing more creative control back to Marvel, Wilde’s post-'Darling' controversies, and the general chaos of Spider-franchise management—it would honestly be more surprising if this movie wasn’t scrapped. Who knows? Maybe Spider-Woman turns up in the MCU sometime soon with a different director, but right now, it sounds like Wilde’s version will stay part of Hollywood’s great 'what if?' pile.
What do you make of all this? Would you have watched a Wilde-helmed Spider-Woman, or is Sony better off letting Marvel take the reins completely?