Some fans believe Dakota Johnson thought Madame Web was in the MCU.
The Fifty Shades of Grey alum stars in the latest Sony produced but Marvel adjacent movie in which she portrays the superhero character of Cassandra Webb. The film undoubtedly has connections to the official MCU’s Spider-Man franchise, though actor Tom Holland, who currently portrays the titular character, did not appear in the film.
In a past interview with L’Officiel USA, Johnson shared that it was Avengers and WandaVision star, Elizabeth Olsen, that convinced her to take on her first ever superhero role.
“When I got the Madame Web role, I ran into Lizzie Olsen in the hotel lobby and spoke to her about it for a bit, and that was helpful. She said she had a great time and seemed very relaxed about it so that was comforting,” Johnson recalled.
With this quote, fans quickly theorized that “There is a 100 percent chance Dakota thought she was signing on for an MCU movie.” In addition to the fact that Johnson seemingly doesn’t have a lot of knowledge about the MCU, as she couldn’t name a single Spider-Man film in a recent interview with MTV.
With the quote about seeking out Olsen for advice and the connection to the official MCU, it’s not a stretch that people believed that this movie was part of the Disney-owned MCU, when in reality it is Sony created.
In addition to all of the speculation, Johnson also changed casting agencies from WME to CAA a week after the official Madame Web trailer debuted. This made fans speculate that their theory was correct. However, CAA also represents Johnson’s company TeaTime Pictures along with her upcoming film, Daddio, which will be released by Sony Classics. There appears to be no ill will with Johnson and Sony or CAA.
What’s concerning is the fact that some of the press and marketing for Johnson’s film, includes MCU references and some people have no idea where exactly this falls in the superhero worlds. Take for instance this legitimately sold magazine with the title, “The Complete Fan Guide to Madame Web Plus: New Marvel Films & TV Sneak Peeks.”