After years of rumors and speculation, Sony's female-led superhero film Madame Web is finally in production in Boston, according to a local journalist. The extensive reporting includes all-new details surrounding the mysterious project that may shed light on the film's setting.
According to the reporter, production for Madame Web has been prepping several locations in the New England area to replicate early 2000s New York City. Billboards now advertise the ancient "3G speed" for a handheld device, while Beyonce's 2003 album “Dangerously in Love” also makes an appearance. At another location, Boston’s Financial District has been turned into a "slightly retro" version of New York City’s Chinatown. Despite the evidence, it is unclear if the entire film will take place during the 2000s, or if they are simply filming flashback sequences.
Plot details remain scarce, but it is not surprising the Spider-Man-related project takes place in The Big Apple. Set in Sony's Spider-Man Universe, a place seemingly adjacent to the MCU, Madame Web features Dakota Johnson in the titular role. An origin story for the character, she'll be joined by Euphoria star and two-time Emmy nominee Sydney Sweeney alongside a supporting cast that includes Isabela Merced, Emma Roberts, Celeste O'Connor, Mike Epps, and Tahar Rahim. The follow-up to Venom and Morbius, Madame Web serves as the first superhero-focused project of the SSU.
In the comics, Web is depicted as an old woman suffering from a severe autoimmune disorder called myasthenia gravis. Due to her illness, Web must always be connected to a life-support device. But her clairvoyant and psychic capabilities allow her to look within the spider world and occasionally aid the Spider-Man in his multiverse-spanning adventures. Although Spider-Man has yet to appear in Sony's current cinematic universe named after him, Madame Web may set the table for an appearance by Peter Parker (whether it's Tom Holland or not) at some point in the future.
Behind the scenes, S.J. Clarkson lends her directing talents for Madame Web while Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless pen the screenplay. Under the working title "Claire", principal photography continues into September after beginning earlier this summer. Set for a 2023 release, the project arrives just after Sony's next Marvel film, Kraven the Hunter, which is currently in production with Aaron Taylor-Johnson at the forefront.
Madame Web is set to be released exclusively to theaters on July 7, 2023.