Issa Rae Joins Major Movie Sequel with Top Secret New Role (But We Think We Know What It Is)

Published Jun 5, 2021

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7:01pm

It looks like Issa Rae might be getting some special powers in her next movie role.

The Insecure actress has just joined the cast of the untitled sequel to the 2018 animated film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Rae will work alongside Shameik Moore and Hailee Steinfeld, who are offering their vocal talents once again to the characters of Spider-Man and Spider-Gwen.

The Hollywood Reporter first shared the news, adding that the sequel's screenplay will be written by Phil Lord, Chris Miller and David Callaham. While Rae's role has not been revealed, we have a gut feeling that the 36-year-old actress will be playing Spider-Woman (aka Jessica Drew).

Rae shared the news on her Instagram story, with a shot of the The Hollywood Reporter headline and a caption that said, “The way I have loved Spider-Man since the third grade. A dream come true." (She also included a spider emoji as a fitting touch).

Issa Rae/Instagram

If Rae is introduced as Spider-Woman, this would make sense considering that there is an all-female spin-off the creators are hoping to develop. Back in 2018, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that director and storyboard artist Lauren Montgomery was in negotiations to lead “an untitled Spider-centric project that will gather the female heroes in the Spider-Man universe of characters in one adventure.”

Producer Amy Pascal shared the same idea with Vanity Fair, saying that there was a Spider-Women spin-off in the works that would be written by Bek Smith and would feature the characters of Spider-Gwen, Spider-Woman and Silk (Cindy Moon).

We'll be anxiously waiting to see if this all-female spin-off comes to fruition. In the meantime, the sequel to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse will be hitting theaters on October 7, 2022.

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Joel Calfee

Associate Editor, News and Entertainment

Joel is the former Associate Editor for News & Entertainment and has been reporting on all things pop culture for over 5 years. Before working at PureWow, he served as a Features Editor at ROCKET Magazine. When he's not dissecting the latest trends in entertainment (or guiding you on what to watch), he covers all the hottest red carpet looks and fashion movements. When he steps away from the keyboard, you can likely find him at an NYC concert, thrift store or LGBTQ+ bookstore happily perusing the shelves.

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