Looks like Sony’s Spider-Man spinoff Venom is getting even more momentum. The project that already has Ruben Fleischer set to direct and Tom Hardy set to star is close to locking down its female lead. According to Variety, the person in question is the Oscar-nominated Michelle Williams, who just last year starred alongside Casey Affleck in the critical darling, Manchester by the Sea.

There aren’t very many details on the role exactly, but the outlet describes it as a district attorney and possibly Hardy’s love interest. Not entirely sure what they mean by “possibly” his love interest — unless they’re unsure whether or not the film will feature a love interest at all. Perhaps they know for a fact that she’s a district attorney and are just assuming she’s a love interest since she’s the co-lead? We’ll have to wait and see what her role ends up being.

Thanks to how little we actually know about the role, it’s difficult to speculate as to whether or not she’s a good fit, but there’s no denying that she can act up a storm. When acting alongside Tom Hardy, that’s very important. All in all, while many may see this as a potential misstep from Sony, it sounds like they’re trying to make all the right moves in terms of the talent, which is promising.

Venom is a film that will play no role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but Sony has made it clear that it still exists in the same reality as Spider-Man — kind of like how The Defenders exists in the same universe, but remains unacknowledged by the main film.

With Branch potentially stepping in to take the lead alongside Hardy, it’s becoming harder and harder to doubt Sony’s overall ambition with this flick. They clearly want this movie to be taken seriously, but whether or not that could eventually mean actual admittance into the MCU remains to be seen.

What do you think of Michelle Branch joining Venom? Let us know your thoughts down below!

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SOURCE: Variety