Variety recently shared a piece on the current state of Sony Pictures Marvel Universe plans and there's an interesting reveal in there which suggests Dakota Johnson may be unhappy with Madame Web.
As the trade explains, "Johnson's conspicuous jump from WME to CAA in November - just days after a baffling first trailer debuted - raised industry eyebrows, along with a razz in her recent 'SNL' monologue describing the film as 'like if AI generated your boyfriend’s perfect movie.'"
They're making a big assumption there but the suggestion is clearly that the actress isn't fully behind the upcoming comic book movie. Jared Leto clearly couldn't care less when he was doing the rounds to promote Morbius, so Johnson may well feel the same.
Still, we can't help wondering whether this was a coincidence even if the timing is rather suspect. Then again, we're sure Johnson was made aware of the fact her big superhero debut had become the subject of ridicule thanks to the line, "He was in the Amazon with my mom when she was researching spiders right before she died."
Reliable sources have informed us that this questionable piece of dialogue isn't included in the final cut of Madame Web, though whether Sony chose to scrap it in response to the memes or it was only ever meant to provide some story context in the trailer is unknown.
Both Johnson and Sydney Sweeney tagged Marvel Studios on social media when they were cast, leading to speculation Sony is using the old bait and switch with actors and allowing them to think they're joining the MCU rather than whatever they're calling their shared world these days.
Regardless, we'd bet the Fifty Shades of Grey star wasn't happy with being made fun of and that might go some way in explaining why she parted ways with the agents who convinced her to join the Marvel Comics adaptation. It should be interesting to see how she handles Madame Web's marketing campaign over the next couple of weeks, anyway!
As always, stay tuned for updates on Madame Web as we have them.
Meanwhile, in another universe...In a switch from the typical genre, Madame Web tells the standalone origin story of one of Marvel publishing's most enigmatic heroines.
The suspense-driven thriller stars Dakota Johnson as Cassandra Webb, a paramedic in Manhattan who may have clairvoyant abilities. Forced to confront revelations about her past, she forges a relationship with three young women destined for powerful futures...if they can all survive a deadly present.
SJ Clarkson directs from a screenplay she wrote with Claire Parker. Morbius scribes Matt Sazama & Burk Sharpless are also expected to be credited for their work on the script, though it's currently unclear which draft they wrote. The movie's confirmed cast members include Dakota Johnson, Sydney Sweeney, Celeste O’Connor, Isabela Merced, Tahar Rahim, Mike Epps, Emma Roberts, and Adam Scott.
Madame Web arrives in theaters worldwide on February 14.