Before helming Madame Web for Sony Pictures, filmmaker SJ Clarkson entered the comic book realm by helming the opening two episodes of both Jessica Jones and The Defenders.
The filmmaker helped set the tone for those shows and has taken what she learned there and brought it to the latest Marvel movie from the studio behind the Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Venom franchises.
We spoke with SJ last week and, while we'll be bringing you the full interview soon, the director also shared her thoughts with us about Marvel Studios making Marvel Television's Netflix shows canon in the MCU. That became official after Echo's launch on Disney+ and we've since seen Daredevil: Born Again pull characters directly from Netflix's Daredevil.
"Oh, well that's amazing," Clarkson tells us in the video below. "I mean, I have to say, it was my introduction into comics was Jessica Jones. I'd read the script but I'd never actually read Alias. I got the big tomb that was Alias and I loved it. I literally read it and thought, 'This is one of the most clever, brilliant, beautiful [pieces of] storytelling I've seen in a long time.'"
"The way that the characters are portrayed, the framing, the use of cinematic angles in a comic book. And the brevity of storytelling in terms of the dialogue. the narration, and actually getting to the point of what somebody says and what a character really thinks and means in that moment...I thought that was really...that really sparked my interest," she continues.
"Of course, I'm so thrilled to hear that they're canon. Jessica, of course, being my first, I'll always have a special place for her."
Clarkson's work in this corner of the Marvel Universe was undeniably significant and it's clear she's excited to see those characters and stories brought into the MCU.
During our conversation, the Madame Web helmer also discusses Spider-Man Easter Eggs, the movie's costumes, her spin-off and sequel hopes, and much more. Again, you can check that out above!
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.
Madame Web arrives in cinemas on February 14.