Dakota Johnson is reportedly in talks to become Sony’s first female superhero. The actress is currently working on a deal to step into the titular role of Madame Web for the studio’s upcoming film.
S.J. Clarkson (Dexter, Jessica Jones) has already signed on to direct the project, with Morbius duo Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless writing the script.
In the comics, Madame Web is an elderly woman with a neuromuscular disease called myasthenia gravis. Due to this ailment, she is confined to an intricate life support system that mirrors a web. Her powers include telepathy, clairvoyance, prescience, and the ability to sense the presence of psionic powers in others. She can also perform psychic surgery and appear to others in spirit form.
While we rarely see the character get physical on the page, Sony likely have something different in mind for the screen, especially judging by Johnson’s age compared to that of the character. Not to mention that a character completely unable to move is rarely cinematically compelling.
There’s also talk that the project could “turn into something else,” according to Deadline. But that might just be implying that a retooling of the character is in play. We’ll wait and see.
This project is long overdue for Sony, whose female characters thus far have only consisted of love interests to their male heroes. Although Marvel have slightly improved their female-led heroes with solo Captain Marvel and Black Widow movies, female heroes have still mostly been supporting characters throughout the MCU.
Johnson has experience of being involved in a big franchise, as she was the lead for three Fifty Shades Of Grey films. She recently co-starred in Maggie Gyllenhaal‘s The Lost Daughter, and two of her new films just earned acclaim at the Sundance Film Festival – Am I OK? and Cha Cha Real Smooth, the latter of which was just purchased by Apple for $15 million.
She’s a great actress who’s proven to be a chameleon of sorts, excelling in a number of different roles. She’s a great choice for Madame Web. Sony will hope to build off their recent superhero success, which saw Venom: Let There Be Carnage make over $500 million, while Spider-Man: No Way Home, a co-production with Marvel, made over $1.7 billion worldwide.
Johnson will next be seen starring in a new adaptation of Jane Austen‘s Persuasion.
#Peace.Love.MadameWeb
