Issa Rae Is the New Spider-Woman and We Are So Here for It

With her multi-hyphenate title and impressive ability to juggle multiple projects at once, Issa Rae has always been a superhero in our minds—and now she’s actually being cast as one. As Variety reports, Rae is set to play Jessica Drew, aka Spider-Woman, in the sequel to Sony Pictures Animation’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.

Rae will be in good company with returning cast members from the 2018 Oscar-winning animated feature, including Shameik Moore, who voices main character Miles Morales, aka Spider-Man, and Hailee Steinfeld, who voices Gwen Stacy, aka Spider-Gwen. Original Spider-Verse director Peter Ramsey is also returning as an executive producer alongside Deadpool’s Aditya Sood, Variety reports.

While we know little about how Rae’s character story will unfold (plot details are being kept super hush-hush), we do know that the Insecure star was basically made for this role. “Since the third grade, I’ve loved Spider-Man, comic books, memorabilia, everything,” Rae told Variety last February. She confirmed this in a recent Instagram Story post in which she shared a screenshot of her recent casting news and wrote, “The way that I have loved Spider-Man since the third grade.” She added that the role was a “dream come true.”

A friend of Rae’s even corroborated the Rae’s love for Spider-Man further. In another Story post, Rae shared a text screenshot from a friend congratulating her on her Spider-Woman role. “YOUR WEIRD ASS OBSESSION HAS PAID OFF!!!” the friend wrote. “I AM SO FUCKING HYPE FOR YOUR SPIDEY ASS!!!!!”

Another friend showed support for Rae’s new role by sharing a throwback picture of the actress holding a Spider-Man-themed birthday balloon. So Rae’s love for the Spidey world does, in fact, appear to be very real.

Not only are we excited to see Rae voice Spider-Woman, but we’re also happy to see that she has supportive friends to celebrate her accomplishments alongside her. More of this, please.