a.) Unfortunately, a woman is often utilized or disposed of in Hollywood based on her age with respect to the ages of her female peers. Because leading, prominent roles are so numbers-based for many women, though, it's easier to tell who the direct competition is (i.e., age-range). Thus I don't think Emma Stone took Michelle Williams's "place" in Hollywood because they are arguably not close enough in age to even be playing the same types of parts - they never were, either. Stone was playing high school-type parts in comedies while Williams was already playing grieving mothers in lauded films.
While they're not that far apart in age at all, the fact that they're still both young means that their age gap is more noticeable role-wise in the first place. The gap on their age and the differences in their roles, though, is definitely narrowing in 2016 as they both can play women in their 30s (roles that are much less varying than early 20s and late 20s/early 30s roles).
b.) Williams is also cemented enough in the industry that no one can definitively take her place. She's been lauded, will be receiving her fourth Oscar nom this upcoming year (probably) and fits very nicely in the indie Hollywood niche that she enjoys working in - Emma seems to like larger audience fare right now and that, by no means, suggests that she took Williams' seat; simply, Williams looks like she offered her seat to actresses who enjoy mainstream work more than she does.
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