As the 'Fifty Shades of Grey' actress is reportedly in talks to star in Sony's movie about the disabled hero, many fans take issue with the studio's apparent 'disability erasure.'
- Feb 4, 2022
AceShowbiz - Dakota Johnson's potential involvement in an upcoming Marvel superhero movie has angered fans. After reports emerged that the actress is in talks to star in Sony Pictures' "Madame Web" movie, many slammed the studio's apparent plans to cast an able-bodied star in a disabled role.
Introduced in 1980's "The Amazing Spider-Man" No. 120, Madame Web is depicted as an elderly woman with myasthenia gravis and thus was connected to a life support system that looked like a spider web. She is paralyzed and blind, and thus relies on her psychic abilities as a clairvoyant and precognitive mutant.
Supposedly Johnson officially lands the role, that means Sony taps a not-blind person to play a blind character in the film. The other option is to completely ignore the disability of the character. Both scenarios upset fans.
Thus, many have taken to Twitter to slam the apparent "disability erasure." "Hell naw, disabled actresses exist! Madame Web is a canonically blind character with myasthenia gravis, disabled mimicry is so annoying," one person reacted to the news.
Another fumed, "Dakota Johnson as Cassandra Webb is ridiculous, though. I kinda hope they're doing a Julia thing, because... I mean... 'elderly, blind, and movement-impaired ... 0 out of 3 ain't bad.' "
A third slammed the ageism of the potential casting, "Madame Web is older and Dakota Johnson is not. Ageism in full effect here." Someone sarcastically said, "Can't wait to watch Dakota Johnson sit in a chair and be blind for 2 and a half hours."
Neither Sony nor Johnson has commented on the casting news. According to several news outlets, S.J. Clarkson is set to direct the "Spider-Man" spin-off which centers on the character from the Spider-Verse. Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless are tapped to pen the screenplay.
