Sony Pictures is looking to keep building its own Marvel universe as they have tapped acclaimed TV director S.J. Clarkson (Collateral) to develop a female-centric movie utilizing the studio’s catalogue of Marvel characters, according to Variety.
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At the time of reporting, it’s currently unknown as to which character Clarkson will be developing a film around, but sources are reporting that there’s a strong possibility the film will be focused on Madame Web, who the studio said they would be bringing to the big screen in September 2019 with writing duo Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless (Morbius) attached to pen the script. Sources have confirmed, however, that there is no writer attached to Clarkson’s project, which could indicate it won’t be the Madame Web film or that Sazama and Sharpless are no longer attached to the project.
Originally created by writer Denny O’Neil and artist John Romita, Jr., Madame Web is generally depicted as an elderly woman with myasthenia gravis who is connected to a life support system reminiscent of a spider-web. She has mostly been a supporting character in the Spider-Man universe since her introduction in The Amazing Spider-Man issue #210 in November 1980.
Be it a Madame Web film or some other character, getting a female-driven vehicle off the ground in Sony’s Marvel Cinematic Universe has been a major priority for the studio, as they not only still have the rights to many major characters, but also given audiences’ demands for more female-driven superhero projects.
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Clarkson has spent over two decades working in the small screen world on everything from the British medical soap opera Doctors to early seasons of EastEnders and Veronica Mars. She would begin her rise to Hollywood stardom around 2010 when she helmed episodes of Heroes, Dexter, Banshee and Bates Motel and has dipped her toe in the Marvel world with two episodes of Netflix’s Jessica Jones and The Defenders. She was set to become the first female director of a Star Trek film, though said project was shelved after initial contract issues arose with its stars.
