Credit: Sony PicturesThe tale of a young native of Queens, New York, named Peter Parker, who undergoes a transformative experience and becomes the iconic Spider-Man after being bitten by a radioactive spider, is so widely acknowledged globally that the phrase “with great power comes great responsibility” has become familiar to nearly everyone.
Related: As Tom Holland Is No Longer Spider-Man, Marvel Builds “Badass Female” Spider Team
Marvel Comics’ renowned narrative introduces a beloved cast of characters (and villains), including Uncle Ben, Aunt May, Mary Jane Watson, Harry Osborn, the Green Goblin/Norman Osborn, and Doc Ock/Doctor Octopus/Otto Octavius — all set against the vibrant backdrop of New York City. The Spider-Man narrative has undergone numerous reinterpretations across various media platforms, ranging from animated adaptations to live-action films and beyond. It has firmly established itself as a timeless classic in the realm of superhero storytelling.
Madame Web‘s (2024) story will flip all of that upside down — and likely take a microscope to those tropes. While the film was in production, however, its lead Dakota Johnson (Fifty Shades of Grey), was not entirely sure about its trajectory.
How Much Blue Screen Is Too Much?
Sony Pictures Releasing is set to distribute Madame Web, positioned as the fourth installment in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe (SSU). Director SJ Clarkson leads the film, who collaboratively crafted the screenplay with Claire Parker and the writing duo Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless.
So far, the Sony Spider-Man Universe (SSU) features Tom Hardy’s (Eddie Brock) Venom (2018) and its sequel Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021), as well as the much-memed Morbius (2022) starring Jared Leto (Morbius). Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s Kraven the Hunter will also make his debut in the upcoming Kraven, which sits alongside Tom Hardy’s Venom 3 to round out the SSU’s 2024 slate.
Related: First ‘Madame Web’ Clip Has Fans Excited
The SSU is legally distinct from The Walt Disney Company’s Marvel Studios and its Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), although Sony and Marvel Studios did collaborate on Tom Holland’s Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), which brought The Amazing Spider-Man‘s Andrew Garfield and director Sam Raimi Spider-Man star Tobey Maguire into the MCU as Multiverse variants of Peter Parker.
It’s only a little bit confusing. February 14’s Madame Web is tangentially connected — while technically being a “whole other thing”.
Madame Web star Dakota Johnson recently spoke to Entertainment Weekly about her worries concerning the upcoming film, which will debut in theaters on Valentine’s Day this year:
I got sent this script, and I was like, ‘I don’t know about me being a superhero.’
Her concerns revolved around this new endeavor being a mostly blue-screen movie, something totally new to her. In fact, she thought it was an “absolutely psychotic” way to film a movie. Johnson shares how Marvel’s Jessica Jones director Clarkson ultimately allayed those fears.
Johnson describes how her trust in Clarkson to direct her through the “psychotic”, invisible CGI on set got her through the mind-boggling approach to film-making:
I trusted her so much. I’ve never really done a movie where you are on a blue screen, and there’s fake explosions going off, and someone’s going, ‘Explosion!’ and you act like there’s an explosion. That to me was absolutely psychotic. I was like, ‘I don’t know if this is going to be good at all! I hope that I did an okay job!’ But I trusted her. She works so hard, and she has not taken her eyes off this movie since we started.
Ultimately, what also helped her was the intriguing nature of Cassandra Webb, AKA Cassie Webb’s story and mind-centric powers:
I was sort of mystified by her powers. I felt like, ‘Oh, I really would love to see that superhero. I would love to see a young woman whose superpower is her mind.’
She continues:
I really love the idea of somebody who can see into the future, but until they can really understand their past and appreciate where they are, they can’t use that power. Without wanting to overload it with profundity, I thought that’s an amazing thing to explore: If we understand our past and see where we are in the present, we can then make better choices for the future.
At the end of the day, it appears that Johnson’s fears over Madame Web were eased with the right combination of professional trust and a genuine love for the character.
Are you excited to see Dakota Johnson as Madame Web? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
Dakota Johnson takes on the role of Cassandra “Cassie” Webb, a Manhattan paramedic and clairvoyant, in the upcoming Sony picture Madame Web. Following an accident, Cassie develops psychic abilities that let her foresee future events within the “spider world.” Johnson was drawn to portraying a female character whose superpowers originate from her mind and was intrigued by the idea of seeing into the future while comprehending the past and present.
Director S. J. Clarkson, inspired by the psychological aspects of the character, emphasizes Cassie’s internal struggle with questioning her sanity. The film diverges from the comic book version of Madame Web, presenting a unique perspective. The cast also includes Sydney Sweeney as Julia Cornwall (not Julia Carpenter)/ Spider-Woman, Celeste O’Connor as Mattie Franklin / Spider-Woman, Isabela Merced as Anya Corazon / Araña, and Tahar Rahim as Ezekiel Sims, an explorer with enhanced abilities and future sight. Additional cast members include Mike Epps, Emma Roberts, Adam Scott, and Zosia Mamet in undisclosed roles.