Booksmartdirector Olivia Wilde is set tohelm and develop a secret Marvel filmcentered on a female hero for Sony Pictures. While Wilde has not confirmed reports of the project being aSpider-Womanfilm, she has now revealed that Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige is involved.
As Marvel Studios continues to expand its cinematic universe on film and television, Sony has begun developing its own slate of projects based on the Marvel characters the company owns the screen rights to, many of them being from the Spider-Man comics. Dubbed Sony’s Universe of Marvel Characters, these projects currently include Tom Hardy’sVenomand its sequel as well as the upcoming filmMorbiusand a developing solo movie for Kraven the Hunter. While Kevin Feige was involved in Sony’sVenom, the Marvel Studios president and Sony executive Amy Pascal have had differing opinions over whether or notthe latter company’s films exist within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
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Consequently, news of Wilde’s secret Marvel film prompted questions about whether or not Feige would participate in the development of the project. During an interview on theShut Up Evanpodcast, Wilde confirmed Feige’s involvement when she invoked his name while trying to avoid revealing too much information on the Marvel film. “All I can say is that is by far the most exciting thing that’s ever happened to me. Not only do I feel like I get to tell a story that…God, it’s like listen to me trying to avoid Kevin Feige’s pellet gun,” Wilde said.
Wilde made herdirectorial debut withBooksmartand will reunite with the co-writer of the acclaimed comedy, Katie Silberman, to pen the script the Marvel and Sony film. “I’m just honored to be amongst this wave of women who are showing up and saying ‘we are not going to step in and try and tell this story like men do, we’re actually going to reframe the stories themselves,” she said after expressing that being able to develop the story from the start is part of what has made the experience incredible for her.
While the jury is still out on whether or not Sony’s Universe of Marvel Characters will ever intersect with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Kevin Feige’s involvement in Olivia Wilde’s film shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. Both Marvel and Sony have been collaborating closely ever since signing the landmark deal that would allow Feige to includeSpider-Man in MCU films.
Of course, the partnership has not always been an easy one, as seen during last year’s dispute between both companies. While Marvel and Sony initially failed to agree on new terms to continue co-producingSpider-Manfilms, a deal was eventually reached to keepthe wall-crawler in the MCUfor the time being.
Marvel Studios’ thirdSpider-Manfilm is scheduled to be released in theaters on August 05, 2025.
