Marvel isn't the only studio running with the multiverse concept - Sony Pictures is also experimenting with alternate realities and time travel, particularly with its animated Spider-Man titles where it has seen much success with it. After Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse became an award-winning sensation, it only makes sense for Sony to go forward with a sequel, with the expectation that the film will explore the Spider-Verse further and introduce even more Spider-heroes to the big screen. One of those heroes has been confirmed to be Jessica Drew, a.k.a. Spider-Woman, and it looks like Sony has already cast an actor for the role.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Issa Rae, the star of HBO's Insecure, will lend her voice to Spider-Woman in the upcoming cinematic feature. She is the first new addition to the film, which will see a number of actors reprising their roles in the sequel, including Shameik Moore as Miles Morales and Hailee Steinfeld as Gwen Stacy. While details of the film's plot have been scarce as of late, it's almost a given that Rae's Spider-Woman will collaborate in some way with Moore's Spider-Man; perhaps against a new evil that threatens the Spider-Verse.
Though Jessica Drew is a staple in the Marvel comic books, she has yet to appear in a blockbuster Spider-Man film. That said, there is a lot of material from the lore that Sony can pull from to develop her character. Marvel Comics first introduced her in 1977 as a distinct entity from Spider-Man, with an origin story that is not tied to Peter Parker's whatsoever.
Instead of being bitten by a radioactive spider, Drew gained her powers after her father injected her with a special spider serum in order to cure her of uranium poisoning. The treatment left her with a set of powers unique to Spider-Man's, including the ability to manipulate pheromones and project bio-electric energy. While Spider-Woman teams up with Spider-Man and other Marvel heroes later in her career, she actually starts off as a brainwashed HYDRA agent before she becomes a full-fledged superhero.
Spider-Woman's official introduction in Into the Spider-Verse 2 could pave the way for her own solo film. Last year, rumors were circulating that a live-action Spider-Woman film is in development, helmed by Booksmart's Olivia Wilde. Should the rumors ring true, fans could be seeing a whole lot more of Jessica Drew in the near future.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse 2 is currently in development at Sony Pictures.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter