I’m Worried This Marvel Hero Will Never Join the MCU

Some days, it feels like the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is expanding by leaps and bounds. Other days, all we can do is sit and think about the characters that have been introduced and then summarily forgotten. The simple truth is that Marvel Comics has a massive number of heroes on the roster, and that is both amazing and a problem. It’s amazing because it means there’s a hero for everyone out there. It can also get a little overwhelming, and that’s before considering adaptations and variants. We all want to see our favorite heroes hit the big screen, but some of them are starting to feel less and less likely.

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If Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse taught us anything, it’s that there’s a rock-solid collection of heroes working across the multiverse. However, one hero who has not made her way into the MCU is Jessica Drew. Better known to some as Spider-Woman, she is a strong character with limitless potential. She has ties all across the Marvel Universe, giving her plenty of reasons to cameo, and yet it hasn’t happened (yet).

Who Is Spider-Woman?

Spider-Woman is a hero who has been around since the ‘70s, and she has forged an incredibly unique path in Marvel Comics. She’s an absolute powerhouse with many abilities common to spider-themed heroes. She can do the classic wall-crawl, has superhuman strength, speed, and stamina, etc. Her notable differences include venom blasts, pheromone secretion, and the ability to glide through the air.

Jessica’s story begins, believe it or not, with Hydra. She was a brainwashed spy working for the wrong side, though she would eventually break free. She was probably meant to be a one-off or short-term character, but she stuck the landing. Since then, she’s been involved in many heavy-hitting plots, getting a solo series here and there. Truthfully, we could all use a little more Jessica Drew in our lives.

The Many Roles of Jessica Drew

To say there’s a lot of potential in adapting Jessica Drew’s adventures would be an understatement. She’s a complex character, tied both to the Spider-Verse and the wider Marvel Universe. She’s a superhero, private detective, best friend, bounty hunter, and mother. She’s been through it all, including an origin courtesy of villains. Since then, Jessica has worked alongside dozens of recognizable faces and teams of Marvel Comics. She was a member of Secret Avengers, SHIELD, SWORD, and, more recently, the West Coast Avengers.

Jessica Drew’s story is often connected to larger events in Marvel, and that has earned her one heck of a reputation. She came in swinging during Secret Invasion, where she was infamously replaced by a Skrull Queen. Given her spider-hero status, she’s also been present for some of the larger Spider-Verse events, including Spider-Geddon. This is a hero who will never let one side of her story define her, and she’ll continue to forge new paths wherever she goes.

Where Things (Probably) Get Complicated

Given the roles Jessica Drew has played in the comics, it may seem natural that the MCU would utilize at least one of those as an onboarding path, right? Yet, they haven’t. She’s even the best friend of a superhero who’s gotten her own solo film (Captain Marvel), and not a peep was made. Nor did Jessica Drew appear in Sony’s Madame Web. Given how the fans reacted to that film, that one is arguably for the best, but it does still raise some questions.

Namely, it has us wondering who owns the rights to this version of Spider-Woman. Sony owns the rights to Spider-Man and most related characters, but Jessica Drew is a grey area at best. She may use a Spider-themed title, but her origin story isn’t remotely connected to Peter’s. This might mean Marvel retained the rights to Jessica Drew’s story. However, Marvel may not be allowed to call her Spider-Woman in any of their productions, which could explain their hesitation.

Notably, there is a version of Jessica Drew/Spider-Woman in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, but it’s not the same character we’re used to seeing in the comics. We know what world (Earth-332) she hails from, but we don’t get to know much more about her. Though we do get to learn that she has a similar taste in baby names. Does this mean her backstory has more in common with the comic version? Hard to say, but Sony skirting these details may be intentional.

Sony could be playing a longer game with Jessica Drew of Earth-616. For all we know, Spider-Woman will be making an appearance in Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse. Is it likely? Probably not, but that’s not going to stop her die-hard fans from hoping.

Jessica Drew, aka Spider-Woman, is a powerful and memorable hero of Marvel Comics. It’s shocking that she hasn’t made any live-action (or animated) appearances to date. It’s hard not to read into her absence, but until we’re definitely told she’ll never appear in a film, we’re going to keep on hoping. Perhaps someday she’ll appear in the MCU.