Dakota Johnson in talks to play Madame Web

Dakota Johnson is apparently in talks to play Madame Web, in sony’s Spider-Man spin-off.
The film, which is part of Sony’s increasing library of Marvel-based films, will be directed by S.J. Clarkson.

Madame Web, who first appeared in 1980s The Amazing Spider-Man No. 210, is a clairvoyant mutant who specialises in foretelling the future of Spider-themed superheroes, having mentored not only Peter Parker’s alter ego, but also numerous generations of Spider-People.
She is traditionally represented as a blind, paralysed elderly woman who is surrounded by a web-like contraption that keeps her alive, implying that she avoids direct battle and instead dispatches others on missions.

Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless, writers of the upcoming Morbius, have penned the script.

Madame Web is one of a handful of Marvel-based films in development, as Sony expands their Universe of Characters.
Sony, which owns the film rights to Spider-Man and his associated characters, has already released Venom (2018) and Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2020), as well as the Jared Leto-led Morbius, which is set to be released in April. Kraven the Hunter, starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, is also in the works.

The studio is currently riding high following the release of Spider-Man: No Way Home, which has grossed $1.74 billion globally, the highest in Sony’s history.

Listen to our review of Spider-Man: No way home here.

Morbius delayed for the sixth time

Morbius, a Spider-Man spin-off, has been postponed for the sixth time.

Morbius will now open on Friday, April 1 instead of the previously scheduled Friday, January 28. The film’s star Jared Leto announced the news on Twitter.

The official reason given for Sony’s decision to postpone Morbius is due to a surge in COVID-19 cases fueled by the Omicron variation.

However, there is speculation that the film’s delay is down to the success of Spider-Man: No way home. No way home earned $1billion in just two weeks of its release. It’s still going strong now, selling out show after show. If this is the reason, I think it’s a wise move. Spider-Man: No way home is overperforming all box office projections. Morbius is a film, with a character most people are unfamiliar with. Even if it did really well, it wouldn’t do ‘no way home’ numbers and would look like a flop comparatively.

Morbius was initially due to open in July 2020. But was delayed due to the original covid outbreak. It sees Leto’s titular character go up against his childhood friend Loxias Crown, AKA Hunger, played by Matt Smith.

Review-Venom: Let there be Carnage

The Venom franchise is certainly unique within Sony’s Marvel Cinematic Universe, and while it got off to a rocky start with the first film, Venom: Let There Be Carnage manages to course correct and deliver a much more enjoyable experience.

From the get-go, the film establishes a consistent tone and sticks with it, seamlessly blending crude humour and body horror elements. At only 90 minutes, it’s a lean, fast-paced ride that never drags. Tom Hardy’s portrayal of Eddie Brock and Venom is once again a standout, carrying the film through some of its weaker story moments.

Tom Hardy’s portrayal of Eddie Brock and his alter-ego Venom is one of the highlights of the film. Hardy brings an infectious energy and a sense of fun to his performance, making it clear that he’s having a blast playing this character. His comedic timing and physical comedy are on point, especially during the scenes where Eddie and Venom bicker with each other. Hardy’s commitment to the role, both in terms of the physical demands and the voice work, is impressive and adds to the enjoyment of the film. Hardy’s performance is a major factor in the success of Venom: Let there be Carnage, and his enthusiasm for the role is contagious. Woody Harrelson is a welcome addition to the franchise as the villainous Cletus Kasady/Carnage, and he fully embraces the film’s ridiculousness with an over-the-top performance. His chemistry with Hardy accentuates the fun of the film, making up for some of the weaker secondary characters.

Speaking of which, the film’s shorter runtime, unfortunately, means that characters like Anne Weying and Francis Barrison don’t get as much development as they could have. However, their potential roles are intriguing and leave room for exploration in future instalments.

The third-act battle between Venom and Carnage is satisfying and visually impressive, with noticeable improvements in the CGI department from the first film. Director Andy Serkis’ experience in motion-capture performances certainly shows.

In addition to the film’s strong performances, another highlight is the delightful cameo by Reece Shearsmith. The actor, known for his work in British comedies such as “The League of Gentlemen” and “Inside No. 9,” delivers a scene-stealing performance as a hapless Priest, who becomes embroiled in the chaos caused by the symbiotes. His brief appearance provides a much-needed injection of levity into the film, and his delivery of the film’s funniest line is sure to leave audiences in stitches.

However, it’s the post-credit scene that really elevates the film, teasing a potential crossover with another beloved Marvel character and opening up exciting possibilities for future sequels.

Overall, Venom: Let There Be Carnage is a fun, entertaining ride that surpasses its predecessor and leaves fans excited for what’s to come. It’s definitely worth checking out on VOD services.

⭐⭐⭐

Trailer-Morbius

Sony Pictures has released the first trailer for the upcoming Marvel film Morbius.

Jared Leto stars as ‘The Living Vampire’ in the film. I was really impressed by this trailer.

The trailer offers some surprises along and also confirms that a Spider-Man, exists in this universe…

One of Marvel’s most compelling and conflicted characters comes to the big screen as Oscar® winner Jared Leto transforms into the enigmatic antihero, Michael Morbius. Dangerously ill with a rare blood disorder, and determined to save others suffering his same fate, Dr Morbius attempts a desperate gamble. What at first appears to be a radical success soon reveals itself to be a remedy potentially worse than the disease. 

MORBIUS will open at cinemas July 31

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Venom-Blu Ray review

Venom is a bold project for Sony, they’re attempting to launch a Spider-Man universe, without Spider-Man. They want this universe to stand alone, but they don’t want to rule out the chance of a future crossover.

Whilst it’s never stated this is in the MCU (Marvel cinematic universe) they don’t say anything to contradict that it isn’t. Instead of New York, the action takes place in San Francisco.

Tom Hardy plays Eddie Brock, an investigative journalist. Eddie lives with his fiancé Anne (Michelle Williams), a successful lawyer, working for a firm that represents the controversial billionaire Carlton Drake (Riz Ahmed).

One night, Eddie makes a bad decision and ends up losing his job, his relationship and his apartment.

Cut to six months later. Eddie has given up on himself — but when Dr Dora Skirth (Jenny Slate), a scientist who works for Drake, tells Eddie that Drake is sacrificing homeless people in mad experiments, Eddie decides to leap back into action to expose him. Whilst exploring the lab, Eddie gets bonded with an alien, that calls itself Venom.

All of a sudden we’re in a slapstick/buddy comedy. Invoking the obligatory talking alien mechanical baritone, Venom at first barks out primal commands such as “HUNGRY!” and “FOOD!”, but soon he’s commenting on Eddie’s romantic life and opening up about how he was considered a “loser” on his home planet.



The movie is a strange beast, it never truly settles on an identity. It’s unevenly dumb, part superhero movie, part horror/comedy and it doesn’t really do either well. It is funny? Yes, at times. I’ll admit I laughed. But, not always at the times the film wanted me to.

According to Hardy his favourite bits of the film, are the 40 minutes that ended up on the cutting room floor. He’s also said in interviews, that he mostly improvised his scenes. This could explain some of the choppy editing, or inconsistencies in the characters’ motivations.

The film wants us to want Eddie and Anne back together, but they’ve put her in a relationship with Dr Dan, probably the nicest/most understanding man in the universe. Venom feels like it fell through a time vortex, this is like a pre-MCU superhero movie. Something akin to 2003’s Daredevil.

The special effects are underwhelming. The CGI is terrible and the fight scenes are predictable and murky at best. The villains — human and extraterrestrial — are forgettable. And neither the ordinary guy nor his alter ego is particularly compelling to watch.

This film cements Tom Hardy, as the British Nicholas Cage.

⭐⭐

Blu-ray Disc Exclusives

  • Extended Post Credit Scene and Deleted Scenes
  • PLUS over an hour of extras including
  • Venom Mode: Trivia Track
  • The Lethal Protector in Action
  • The Anti-Hero
  • Venom Vision
  • Designing Venom
  • Symbiote Secrets

*AND MORE

Also includes

  • Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse Sneak Peek
  • Eminem Music Video

Venom won’t be part of the MCU

It’s no secret that Sony has long wanted to launch a “Spidey-verse”, and despite striking a deal with Marvel Studios for the use of Spider-Man in the MCU, with films such as; the Avengers and the upcoming Spider-Man: Homecoming and its sequels. They’re planning to put their Spidey rights to good use; with or without the web crawler and, without Marvel studios.

Next year sees the release of an animated Spider-Man movie, focusing on Miles Morales, and last month, sony announced Venom and Silver & Black, the latter featuring the characters of Silver Sable and Black Cat.

As Tom Holland’s Spider-Man is cemented firmly in the MCU, there had been some speculation, as to where these films would take place.

Marvel Studios head honcho Kevin Feige told AlloCine:

“For now, there is no plan for Venom in the MCU. It’s a Sony project.”

Many had assumed Venom would take place in a separate universe, but Keige’s answer does throw up other questions, such as; How will Venom’s origin be told without Spider-Man? If Tom Holland’s Spider-Man isn’t involved, will Sony cast a different Spider-Man? Are they building to a Spidey-Verse that features Toby Maguire and Andrew Garfield?

Venom is set for release on October 2018.