Dakota Johnson swings into the Spider-Man movie universe as Madame Web

Dakota Johnson in The Lost Daughter — (Image credit: Netflix)

Dakota Johnson is reportedly set to join Sony’s burgeoning Spider-Man movie universe as Madame Web.

Deadline reports that the Fifty Shades of Grey actor is onboard for a Madame Web spin-off movie. S.J. Clarkson, who has previous in the superhero sphere after helming episodes of The Defenders and Jessica Jones, will direct.

Comic book fans will surely raise a curious eyebrow at the casting of Johnson. Typically, Madame Web is portrayed as an elderly woman who can see into the future and she is usually constrained to a chair. As such, she very rarely has facetime with any of Marvel’s heroes or villains – nor does she see much action.

Sources close to Deadline suggest, however, that "the project could turn into something else." Watch this space.

That’s not the only thing Sony has cooking up on the Spider-Man side of things. Morbius, starring Jared Leto as the titular vampire, is set for release on April 1. Aaron Taylor-Johnson has also been cast as Kraven the Hunter for his own standalone movie, set for release in 2023.

Beyond that, there has also been talk of an Olivia Wilde-directed movie, potentially Spider-Woman, as well as Venom 3 – which Tom Hardy would like to see evolve into a crossover with Spider-Man actor Tom Holland.

Sony’s last superhero project, Spider-Man: No Way Home, has become one the highest-grossing movies of all time, grossing over $1.7 billion at the box office. We can’t see into the future to predict if Madame Web will be successful but, with Dakota Johnson involved, it’s already snagged one of Hollywood’s premiere talents. You don’t need to be a clairvoyant to know that’s a great first step.

Find out more Spider-Man's small-screen efforts with our guide to new Marvel TV shows.

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.