Sony is going all-in on theirSpider-Manuniverse.THRreports that the studio has recruited screenwriterChris Yost(Thor: Ragnarok) to pen the script for a new film centered onSpider-Manspin-off characters Black Cat and Silver Sable. Yost will build on a previous version of the script that came fromWestworldco-creatorLisa Joy.Matt TolmachandAmy Pascalwill produce the film previously known as the “secret female spin-off project”. In addition to penningThor: RagnarokandThor: The Dark World,Yost created the character of X-23 (recently seen kicking all the ass inLogan) and got his start writing for Marvel’s animated series.
Black Cat is one of the best knownSpider-Manspin-off characters. An acrobatic cat burglar by the name of Felicia Hardy, she has a complicated, on-again, off-again romantic history with Spider-Man and a knack for robin hood style theivery. Created by writerMarv Wolfmanand artistKeith Pollard, she first appeared inThe Amazing Spider-Manin 1979 and was first played on screen by Felicity Jones as a bit role inThe Amazing Spider-Man 2.
Silver Sable, AKA Silver Sablinova, is a lesser known but fantastically interesting comic book character. A mercenary and vigilante, Silver is the ruling monarch of Symkaria and CEO of Silver Sable Internationa who wasl trained by her Nazi-hunter father to capture war criminals. Created byTom DeFalcoandRon Frenzin 1985, the character shares Black Cat’s knack for playing on both sides of the law.
The report comes on the heels of the news that Sony is moving forward with theirVenommovie for a scheduled October 2018 release date. The studio is actively seeking directors for both projects, and aiming for a Fall start date for production on the Black Cat/Silver Sable movie.Varietyreports that, likeVenom, the studio is planning this film as a separate universe from their freshly rebootedSpider-Manfranchise (which they now share with Marvel).
Spider-Manis their only comic book property and it makes sense that they want to build a superhero franchise they don’t have to share with the MCU, but the idea of a building up a Spider-Man universe without Spider-Man is a bit odd. That said, if the movies are good, the shared universe quibbles just won’t matter.
