Silver & Black Will Be Marvel's Thelma & Louise

07/19/2017 04:56 pm EDT

While audiences are still buzzing about Spider-Man: Homecoming, Columbia Pictures is planning out the future of their 'Spider-Verse' of characters. One of the most anticipated entries in that pantheon is Silver & Black, which will unite Spider-Man villains Silver Sable and Black Cat.

According to Gina Prince-Bythewood, who will be helming the project, the story will draw inspiration from buddy movies - including the hit 1991 dramedy Thelma & Louise.

"I wanted to tell the story of two damaged women," Prince-Bythewood revealed to Variety, "who are at war with each other but need each other to survive."

Sony's recent Spider-Man ventures have already set a pretty good precedent for genre-based storytelling, with Homecoming drawing influence from the teen comedies of John Hughes.

But according to Variety's reporting, Silver & Black will be thematically darker than its predecessor. Prince-Bythewood is reportedly focusing heavily on the origins of her film's characters - including the deaths of their parents - to create the film's narrative.

Columbia Pictures president Sanford Panitch echoed the idea of a darker narrative, saying that films revolving around superheroes and villains have grown much more nuanced.

"Superhero movies have now transcended," Panitch explained, "where they're no longer superhero movies per se; they are essentially genre movies. It's not so much that characters have a cape and fly. In Silver & Black, these two women are modern and cool. They may wear costumes, but [they're] very real and very grounded."

Gina Prince-Bythewood, writer and director of The Secret Life of Bees, will direct the Marvel spin-off. Sony has aptly titled the film, Silver and Black. Chris Yost (Thor: Ragnarok) and Lisa Joy (Westworld) will oversee work on the script.

Spider-Man: Homecoming hits theaters on July 7, 2017, while Venom currently has an October 5, 2018 release date. The Animated Spider-Man Movie debuts on December 21, 2018, and the rumored Silver Sable and Black Cat films have no release windows.

MORE SPIDER-MAN NEWS: Venom Takes Over Spider-Gwen In This Stunning Cosplay / Venom Movie To Be Directed By Zombieland's Ruben Fleischer / Tom Holland Plans To Play Spider-Man For A Very Long Time / Kirsten Dunst Really Wanted A Fourth Spider-Man Movie

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