In the world of Marvel superheroes, there are countless iconic characters that have graced the pages of comic books and made their way onto the big screen. One character who has remained on the fringes, however, is Madame Web. Played by Dakota Johnson in the upcoming film, Madame Web is an enigmatic character with a unique story to tell.
Director and co-writer S.J. Clarkson, known for her work on Marvel's Jessica Jones and The Defenders, as well as other notable shows and movies, took on the task of bringing Madame Web to life. In discussing the film, Clarkson revealed that working on a big-budget superhero movie was both incredible and just another day on set. The balance of excitement and familiarity helped her navigate the project.
Madame Web is a character who has never had her own comic, a fact that Clarkson finds both a travesty and weird. The allure of a character on the periphery, someone who exists just outside the spotlight, is what drew her to Madame Web. Clarkson describes her fascination with exploring what lies just beyond the center stage, where the real interest often lies.
Before Johnson joined the project, she and Clarkson had extensive discussions about the direction of the film. Clarkson wanted to create a grounded and relatable experience, addressing Johnson's concerns about the story being too fantastical. Their collaboration became the foundation of their partnership throughout the film's production.
When it came to influences, Clarkson decided to steer away from traditional superhero movie tropes. Instead, she aimed to create a psychological thriller, drawing inspiration from films like Nicolas Roeg's 'Don't Look Now,' 'The Conversation,' 'Inception,' and 'The Talented Mr. Ripley.' Her approach was to explore how a thriller feels and elicit similar emotions in the audience.
Setting the film in 2003, Clarkson wanted to capture the essence of that time period. With a soundtrack featuring songs like Britney Spears' 'Toxic,' the film transports audiences back to the early 2000s. Clarkson reminisces about the nostalgia and vibrancy of that era, emphasizing that it was a time of fun and excitement, now considered a period drama.
Notably, Clarkson also wanted to highlight the absence of today's surveillance capitalism in the film. She purposefully limited the use of technology and surveillance, making it an element reserved only for the villain. This allowed the story to unfold without the constant presence of smartphones, giving the characters more freedom and adding to the film's overall atmosphere.
Keeping a big-budget film under wraps while shooting on location can be challenging. To maintain secrecy, the production used code words like 'Peru' and 'Clair' on signage, with the latter cleverly hinting at the character's clairvoyance. Clarkson found the planning and strategizing necessary for secrecy amusing, as she demystified the process during our conversation.
Finishing Madame Web proved to be a race against time, with the film being locked just days before its theatrical release. The visual effects were the last pieces to fall into place, and Clarkson acknowledges that more time would have been ideal. Despite this, the film primarily relied on practical effects, adding a grounded and realistic quality to the clairvoyance elements. Late additional photography and a final computer screenshot kept everyone on their toes until the very last moment.
As the release of Madame Web approaches, fans eagerly anticipate the coming together of a relatively unexplored character and an exciting directorial vision. S.J. Clarkson's passion for storytelling and her desire to showcase Madame Web in a psychological thriller sets this movie apart from traditional superhero fare. With Dakota Johnson at the helm, this unique Marvel adventure is sure to leave audiences intrigued and longing for more.
