Ghostbusters: Afterlife star Celeste O’Connor has signed on the join the cast of Sony‘s Madame Web film. Based on the Marvel comics by writer Denny O’Neil and artist John Romita Jr., Madame Web already stars Dakota Johnson (Fifty Shades of Grey, Bad Times at the El Royale) and Sidney Sweeney (Euphoria, Night Teeth). Sony is keeping O’Connor’s role under wraps for the time being.
Madame Web will revolve around Cassandra Webb, a character traditionally depicted as an elderly blind woman suffering from a chronic neuromuscular disease that hinders her moment and respiratory functions. As a byproduct of her condition, Madame Web remains connected to a life support system that looks very much like a spider’s web. Not without powers of her own, Cassandra is clairvoyant and imbued with precognitive abilities that allow her to see other’s paths along with the “web of life.” The Madame Web character first appeared in the pages of The Amazing Spider-Man #210, which Marvel Comics published in November of 1980.
Johnson will play Cassandra Webb, while fans are convinced Sweeney will star as Felicia Hardy, a.k.a. Black Cat. Sweeney’s role has yet to be confirmed.
S.J. Clarkson is directing Madame Web, with Morbius scribes Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless writing the screenplay. Sony’s Madame Web project is one of several Spider-Man-related features the studio has in active development. There’s also Kraven the Hunter, starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Sergei Nikolaevich Kravinoff, a.k.a. Kraven.
It’s to be understood that Madame Web will be fighting an uphill battle on its way to theaters after Morbius was universally panned by fans and critics alike. It doesn’t help that Madame Web is being written by the same team, though perhaps the second time is the charm? I hope Sony can right the Spider-Verse ship with Kraven and Madame Web because it’s been a rough ride for the past few years. Marvel’s characters deserve better, and there are only so many times you can try before people lose faith altogether. I hope Madame Web will melt people’s faces upon release because that’s better than the alternative.
How do you feel about Madame Web? Are you excited about this movie? Morbidly curious? Does the addition of Celeste O’Connor intrigue you? I thought they were great in Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Maybe things will work out after all.
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