The next entry on the schedule upcoming Spider-Man movies is the Dakota Johnson-led Madame Web, and it’s less than a month away from release. The latest superhero flick from Sony’s side of the Spider-Verse will tell the origin story of Cassandra Web, a Manhattan paramedic who develops clairvoyant powers that allow her to see deeply into the “spider world.” While shooting the movie, Johnson got “really good” at one particular type of stunt, and she’s not afraid to brag about it.
While talking about the making of Madame Web, Dakota Johnson shared that while she was initially skeptical about starring in a superhero movie, she changed her mind after reading the script changed her mind. Plus, she got to learn a new skill -- stunt driving! When talking about how she took to the work, Johnson said:
I got to do a day of stunt driving work, and I’m really good at it, it seems! I mean, I can do some really wild things with a car. I drove an ambulance. I drove a taxicab. I drove everything in the movie — except for flying through the air and out of a building. But other than that, I’m like, ‘Watch out, Tom Cruise.’
It sounds like the 34-year-old actress has found her calling! While speaking to Entertainment Weekly, the star -- who's known for Fifty Shades Of Grey and Suspiria -- also said that she wanted to do even more stunts on the movie that were related to cars. That was especially the case when it came to a scene where her character drives a taxi into a diner, but she wasn’t given the go-ahead to do so. She said:
I didn’t get to actually drive it into the diner, which is really a bummer. I really wanted to, but I guess they don’t want to put their lead actor in actual danger, unless you’re Tom Cruise. But I’m getting there! I’m working on it.
As Dakota Johnson also said during the interview, she isn’t exactly a veteran to the action movie genre. She shared that she’d “never really done” a movie involving blue screens and having to pretend she's looking at explosions or other wild events. She found that element of the job so new to her and “absolutely psychotic,” but she completely trusted director and co-writer SJ Clarkson the whole time and found herself really enjoying being in a movie with so much action and stunts. So yeah, look out Tom Cruise, because there's a new rising action junkie in town.
Some of what the leading lady does in the movie can be glimpsed in the Madame Web trailer. You can take a look at it for yourself down below:
Aside from Dakota Johnson , the Madame Web cast also includes Sydney Sweeney, Isabel Merced, Emma Roberts, Celeste O’Connor and Adam Scott among others. And some of them are playing other heroes that appeared in the Spider-Man comics. It’ll be exciting to see how Johnson and the other leading women come together in this unique entry in Sony Spider-Verse. And of course, we’re curious if Spider-Man himself will somehow pop up in the movie, which is being described as an “origin story” for the titular character.
Those who'd like to check out the lead star's stunt-driving abilities can see them when Madame Web hits theaters this February 14 as part of the 2024 movie schedule.
