Spider-Man and Venom won’t be the only Marvel characters to get their own Sony movie. According to Variety, a “secret” movie following a female Marvel character is in the works. Even better, S.J. Clarkson is attached to direct the project, which will be “the first female-centric movie from Sony’s catalog of Marvel characters.”
“Marvel,” in this case, refers to Marvel comics, not Marvel Studios, the Disney-owned subsidiary that makes Marvel Cinematic Universe movies. Sony’s Marvel projects are somewhat related to the MCU, but are technically their own entities. Yes, it’s confusing.
Most details about Clarkson’s project are under wraps or unconfirmed. It’s not known who the central character will be, but “insiders say there is a strong possibility that the film will be based on the Madame Web comic-book character.” No word on a writer or star yet, but “sources say there is a possibility that the studio is looking for an A-list actor to join and then hire a writer to develop the film around them.” Charlize Theron and Amy Adams are reportedly on a list of possible stars, but “nobody has committed or even met for the part yet.”
“In the comics, Madame Web is depicted as an elderly woman with myasthenia gravis and thus was connected to a life support system that looked like a spider web,” Variety describes, “Due to her age and medical condition, Madame Web never actively fought any villains. For that reason, sources have stressed it’s possible the project could turn into something else.”
Last year, “Captain Marvel” became the first woman-driven movie in the MCU. The Brie Larson-starrer was directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, becoming the first Marvel film to be helmed by a woman. The pic grossed over $1 billion globally, and more than $426.8 million domestically, making it one of the highest-grossing woman-directed films of all-time.
Cate Shortland’s “Black Widow,” another Marvel film spotlighting a female lead, will hit theaters November 6.
“In recent years, studio executives have had Clarkson on short lists to direct several major tentpoles,” the source notes. A veteran TV director, her credits include “Succession,” “Orange Is the New Black,” and “Dexter.” She also helmed several episodes of “Jessica Jones” and “The Defenders,” Netflix series following Marvel characters.
