In a case of “really?”, Sony Pictures is moving ahead with a Madame Web movie.

Courtesy of Collider, Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless – who recently penned the Jared Leto-headlined Morbius – having been given the nod to start writing the picture. Sony’s Palak Patel will serve as producer on the film.

Created by the legendary duo of Denny O’Neil and John Romita Jr., Madame Web debuted in 1980’s The Amazing Spider-Man #210. Born blind, Cassandra Webb developed psychic abilities during her younger years and ultimately ended up in a spider’s web-shaped life-support system after her central nervous system was affected by a disease.

Madame Web would occasionally dip in to help out Peter Parker, not to mention several incarnations of Spider-Woman. Most famously to most casual fans, Madame Web appeared in the iconic ‘90s Spider-Man cartoon from FOX – in which she was voiced by Joan Lee, the wife of a certain Stan the Man.

A Madame Web movie is just the latest project in development as part of Sony’s shared Spider-Verse of films that began with last year’s Venom. In addition to July 2020’s Morbius and October 2020’s Venom 2, Sony is at work on solo offerings for Nightwatch, Kraven the Hunter, Black Cat, Silver Sable, Silk, Jackpot, a Sinister Six movie, and even possibly a film based around Aunt May.

It’s one thing to build a shared universe around, well, a shared universe of big-time characters – ala the Marvel Cinematic Universe or even what Warner Bros. attempted with the DCEU – but it kinda feels a little bit too much for Sony to try and create an entire cinematic realm based around supporting players in the bigger picture of Spider-Man.

Of course, Tom Holland’s Spidey is now seemingly destined to head to Sony’s Spider-Verse after talks broke down between Sony and Disney over Spider-Man’s continued use in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

As ever, expect more on all of these various projects as they continue to develop.