Spider-Man spinoff Silver & Black announced: Gina Prince-Bythewood to direct Silver Sable/Black Cat movie

When Sony originally announced plans to develop the Spider-Man spin-off Venom — another superhero flick unrelated to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe — many were skeptical.

However, thanks primarily to Tom Hardy’s casting as the villain, many have hope in Sony’s second attempt to create a Spider-Man related universe.

The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that another film — Silver & Black — is in production, with The Secret Life of Bees and Beyond the Lights’ Gina Prince-Bythewood helming the blockbuster.

The film, produced by Matt Tolmach and Amy Pascal, will centre on the female comic book characters Silver Sable and the Black Cat, and will start filming later this year.

In the comics, Silver Sable, created in 1985, is a mercenary who often hunts war criminals, while Black Cat — played by Felicity Jones in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 — is a renowned cat burglar.

Chris Yost, who worked on Thor: Ragnarok, will reportedly help write the script, along with Westworld’s co-creator Lisa Joy.

Spider-Man: Homecoming will reach cinemas later this year, marking Tom Holland’s first solo outing as the webslinger. However, as that film is part of the Marvel’s Cinematic Universe, the upcoming spin-offs will be completely separate. How exactly they’ll have a Spider-verse without Spider-Man remains to be seen.

Venom reaches cinemas 18 December 2018.