SJ Clarkson: Madame Web is inspired by Jessica Jones

Spider-Man's extensive rogue gallery is all set to dominate the big screens in the coming years. The latest addition to that will be Madame Web. The Marvel supervillain will be introduced through a standalone film; the fourth addition to Sony's Spider-Man Universe, which also includes characters like Venom and Mobius.

With Dakota Johnson playing the titular role, Madame Web also stars Sydney Sweeney, Celeste O'Connor, Isabela Merced, Tahar Rahim, Mike Epps, Emma Roberts, and Adam Scott. Speaking about developing the central character, Madame Web AKA Cassandra Webb, director SJ Clarkson says that she was inspired by the psychological and cerebral aspects of the character, with Cassie (Dakota Johnson) questioning her sanity which she battles within herself and attempts to understand. She calls Webb a loner and describes her as somewhat abrasive, quirky, and "on the outer edges of things". The director then compared Madame Webb to which she compared to Krysten Ritter's portrayal of the Marvel superhero, Jessica Jones, in the eponymous Netflix series. Clarkson has also directed episodes of Jessica Jones.

Sweeney, O'Connor, and Merced play different versions of Spider-Woman in the film. Roberts plays May Parker while Scott plays Ben Parker, uncle of Peter Parker/Spider-Man. Described as a suspense thriller, Madame Web is currently scheduled for an Indian theatrical release this Friday.