There has been a lot of discussion about the potential decline of the comic book movie genre. While the 2024 movie schedule is a little light when it comes to upcoming superhero movies, one upcoming Marvel film generating buzz, whether positive or negative, is Madame Web. Sony Pictures' Spider-Man universe, which includes Venom 3, Kraven the Hunter, and the soon-to-be-released Madame Web (starring Dakota Johnson in the lead role) is set to have a big year in 2024. In a recent interview, the Fifty Shades actress described the experience of filming the Spidey-adjacent flick. Interestingly, she called working on the movie "absolutely psychotic," mainly due to the extensive use of blue screen.
The Susperia actress is gearing up to enter the realm of superhero characters, taking on the role of the psychic protagonist Madame Web, set for release on February 14th. In a special interview with Entertainment Weekly, Johnson shared her experiences of becoming part of the ever-expanding Sony/Marvel universe and revealed an unexpected skill she mastered during the production. According to the actress:
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 OK job!’
Johnson has added blue screen work to her performing repertoire after working on the Spidey film. However, this is only one of the many new skills she's added to her toolbox from the experience. She also did some of her driving stunts. Some of the stunt work the leading lady does in the movie can be glimpsed in the Madame Web trailer. The High Note actress even joked about Tom Cruise watching out because a new star on the scene was willing to do their stunts. Dakota shared:
I got to do a day of stunt driving work, and I’m really good at it, it seems! I mean, I can do some really wild things with a car. I drove an ambulance. I drove a taxicab. I drove everything in the movie — except for flying through the air and out of a building. But other than that, I’m like, ‘Watch out, Tom Cruise.’
The cast of Madame Web is led by the 34-year-old star, along with other talented actors like Sydney Sweeney, Isabel Merced, Emma Roberts, Celeste O’Connor, and Adam Scott. The movie, directed by SJ Clarkson, follows the journey of Cassandra Webb, a paramedic from New York who gains extraordinary abilities after a strange incident. These abilities allow her to foresee future events, making her a powerful superhero. Clarkson approached Johnson for the leading role of the central superhero in 2021, right after Johnson completed her role in The Lost Daughter.
The movie is set in 2003 and focuses on Cassie's challenges as she navigates her newly acquired abilities while confronting a shadowy adversary, Ezekiel Sims, played by Tahar Rahim. Ezekiel's mission is to track down three young women: Julia Cornwall (played by Sydney Sweeney), Mattie Franklin (Celeste O'Connor), and Anya Corazon (Isabela Merced). Fans of Spider-Man comics will recognize these names as they each gain spider-like powers. In Madame Web, Ezekiel is determined to stop this from happening. We're curious about whether Spider-Man will make an appearance in this upcoming wall-crawling film. The movie is described as an "origin story" for the titular character.
If you want to see the lead star's blue screen abilities, you can catch them in Madame Web, which is scheduled to be released on February 14, 2024. Alternatively, you can check out director SJ Clarkson's previous work in the superhero genre by streaming Marvel's Jessica Jones with your Disney+ subscription, as she directed two episodes of the show.
