After the huge success of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Sony is eager to extend its Marvel world. It’s reported that Dakota Johnson is in discussions to appear in the studio’s Madame Web film. The film will be directed by S.J. Clarkson. The script was written by Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless, with an earlier draft written by Kerem Sanga.
Who is Madame Web (Dakota Johnson)
Madame Web was featured in the comics as an old woman with myasthenia gravis who was tethered to a life support device that resembled a spider web. Madame Web never actively fought any villains due to her age and sick condition. As a result, insiders say it’s likely the project will morph into something different. She is essentially Sony’s equivalent of Doctor Strange, according to insiders, because of her psychic sensory abilities.
In any case, given the lengthy number of strong female characters who have appeared in these comics over the years, obtaining a female-driven property in Sony’s Marvel world has always been a major goal for studio management. Sony executives have met with a number of A-listers in order to choose who will play the title role. The list has been whittled down in recent months, with Johnson achieving front-runner status just before the holidays.
With Venom: Let There Be Carnage grossing over $500 million globally and Spider-Man: No Way Home grossing $1.7 billion worldwide, Sony is on a roll.
Dakota Johnson’s recent TV and movies
Johnson has had a busy year, beginning with her critically lauded performance in Netflix’s The Lost Daughter.
After its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, her film Cha Cha Real Smooth was purchased by Apple for $15 million. Her next film is Persuasion, which she will appear in.
The adaptation of the bestseller novel Anatomy of a Scandal, which Clarkson is now directing and executive producing, is currently in production. She directed and executive produced the drama Collateral, starring Carey Mulligan, and directed and executive produced one episode of Jesse Armstrong’s Emmy-winning series Succession. She also worked on Marvel’s The Defenders and Jessica Jones as a main director and executive producer.
