Back in September 2019 (wow, that seems like a decade ago, doesn’t it?), Sony reportedly hired the writers of “Morbius” to begin developing a “Spider-Man” spin-off film based on the character of Madame Web. Well, according to a new report, it appears that we now know who might helm that feature—SJ Clarkson.
Variety is reporting that Clarkson has signed on to develop a “female-centric” film set in the “Spider-Man” universe that Sony has been slowly cultivating over the last couple of years. While the exact project is unknown, the report claims that it’s likely the Madame Web feature film that Clarkson is working on, though it appears that there aren’t currently any writers or actors attached to the project. So, if it is Madame Web, then maybe Sony and Clarkson are starting from scratch? One interesting aspect of the story is that Charlize Theron and Amy Adams are supposedly on a list of actors that Sony is interested in speaking with about the project.
Clarkson is probably best known as a filmmaker that has spent most of her career on TV projects such as “Dexter,” “Bates Motel,” and “Succession.” She’s also dabbled in superhero storytelling quite a bit, as a director on both “Jessica Jones” and “The Defenders” for Marvel TV. Most recently, she helmed the “Game of Thrones” spin-off pilot that was turned down by HBO. And you may also know her name as the filmmaker attached to the “Star Trek 4” project that fell apart last year.
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If Madame Web is the character at the center of the new project, it would make sense that Sony would approach actresses with plenty of experience under their belts. The Marvel character, at least in the comic book continuity, is an older lady that has clairvoyant/psychic abilities but is relegated to a web-like life-support system due to her neuromuscular disease. The character isn’t a massive supporting member of the “Spider-Man” mythos, so it’ll be interesting to see how the studio handles the character.
Obviously, there’s no expected release date for the project, but we’re excited to see Clarkson find yet another blockbuster project. Let’s just hope this one ends up getting made.