There have been enough iterations of the friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man for us to know everything about Peter Parker from the comics to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But when it comes to other characters from the Spider-Man universe, especially female characters, movie-goers might have little information to go on. Madame Web, the next title from Sony’s Spider-Man universe, is swinging into cinemas this week. Directed by S.J. Clarkson the film features Dakota Johnson as the titular character alongside Sydney Sweeney, Isabela Merced, Celeste O’Connor and Tahar Rahim.
The trailer of Madame Web teases a complex web of storylines, each detail deviating further from the comic books than the other. If you find yourself struggling to piece it all together, you’ve come to the right place. Here’s all you need to know about the upcoming film before watching.
The official synopsis of the film reads, “In a switch from the typical genre, Madame Web tells the standalone origin story of one of Marvel publishing's most enigmatic heroines. The suspense-driven thriller stars Dakota Johnson as Cassandra Webb, a paramedic in Manhattan who develops the power to see the future… and realizes she can use that insight to change it. Forced to confront revelations about her past, she forges a relationship with three young women bound for powerful destinies...if they can all survive a deadly present.”
In the film, Dakota Johnson plays Cassandra Webb, a paramedic in New York City. After an accident, she develops clairvoyant powers. The portrayal of the character as seen in the film’s trailer and posters is different right off the bat. Introduced in 1980 in The Amazing Spider-Man No.210 written by Denny O’Neil and illustrated by John Romita Jr., the character is an old woman. She is blind and paralysed and functions using a life-support system made by her husband that is designed like a web. Her powers which include telepathy and precognition, come from a mutant gene rather than an accident or a spider bite. The comic run revolves around Peter Parker approaching Web to rescue a kidnapped person. She then uses her powers to track the criminals and later discovers that Peter is Spider-Man.
See Also: Upcoming Hollywood movies releasing in February: Madame Web, Argylle and more
Like most Marvel characters, Madame Web also gets quite a few makeovers. In one comic run, she appears much younger. She is joined by Spider-Women Jessica Drew, Julia Carpenter (played by Sweeney in the film) and Mattie Franklin (played by Celeste O’Connor in the film) as she tries to control her granddaughter Charlotte Witter who is turned into a Spider-Woman by Doctor Octopus. In another, she is killed and passes on her powers to Julia. Another sees her as a clone. While the comic books take her story in fascinating directions, it looks like the movie will branch off into a unique new direction. We already know that Dakota plays a young Cassandra who struggles to understand her powers after they suddenly get activated. So reading about her backstory isn’t required ahead of the film.
Apart from Madame Web, the film introduces three supporting Spider-Women - Julia Cornwall (Carpenter post-marriage), Anya Corazon and Mattie Franklin. Euphoria star Sydney Sweeney plays Julia. The character first made an appearance in a 1984 comic book run of Secret Wars. She gets her powers after a government agency performs an experiment on her as a part of an “athletic study”, injecting spider venom and plant extracts into her body. She develops mysterious abilities and takes on the Spider-Woman moniker. Her powers come close to those of Spider-Man. She soon finds herself caught up in the Secret Wars and up against villains like Death Web. Julia also joins alliances like the Freedom Force and Iron Man’s Force Works. In the movie, Sydney has red hair and glasses. She dons a black spider suit when fighting crime.
See Also: Madame Web posters reveal Dakota Johnson, Sydney Sweeney and more from the Spider-Man universe
Ghostbusters: Afterlife star Celeste O’Connor plays Mattie Franklin in Madame Web. The teenager got her powers by joining the Gathering of Five, a mystical ritual in which participants either gain great power or pay a heavy price. Each member gets either knowledge, immortality, power, insanity or death. Once she gets her abilities, Mattie helps fight crime in Peter Parker’s absence using his moniker. She also develops a crush on Peter but he declines her advances considering their age difference. The character goes through rather dark chapters in the comics including one where she falls victim to drug exploitation. She is saved by Jessica Drew and Jessica Jones. She then goes on to form her own identity as Spider-Woman. Following in Drew’s footsteps, she gets black and red spider suit. In one comic book run, she was also sacrificed by the Kravinoff family. Upon being resurrected as a clone, she died to protect people from Carrin zombies. Mattie is the third woman to adopt the mantle of Spider-Woman.
Dora and the Lost City of Gold actress Isabela Merced plays Anya Corazon aka Spider-Girl in Madame Web. The Spider-Man character was introduced in the 2004 comic book Amazing Fantasy No.1. The teenage gymnast gets her Spidey powers amidst a gang war that breaks out between two Brooklyn-based clans. Fatally wounded, she finds herself rescued by a Spider Society member who turns out to be Miguel Legar, a sorcerer. Instead of a spider bite or a mutant gene, she gets a magic tattoo that gives her powers. Her abilities include summoning an exoskeleton to protect herself in fights. She joins the sorcerer on his adventures and becomes a Hunter in the Spider Society. In the film, she dons a black and silver bodysuit.
Madame Web marks the three Spider-Women’s first live-action appearances in Sony’s Spider-Man universe. Their onscreen depiction will likely be very different from their comic book origins.
Very little is known about the villain in Madame Web. The film’s big bad, Ezekiel Sims played by Tahar Rahim wears a black Spider suit. While he isn’t Venom, he seems to be another underrated Spider-Man villain. Sims first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man No. 3. He gets his powers before Peter Parker through a Spider-Totem. He is not a villain in the comics but acts as a mentor instead. He even goes on to help Peter against villains like Morlun, a vampire-like being in the multiverse. Sims ultimately sacrifices himself to save Peter in a fight against The Gatekeeper who targets people he thinks are not worthy of possessing spider powers. The film’s trailer sees him attack Cassandra and the Spider-Women in a diner.
See Also: Madame Web trailer: Dakota Johnson and Sydney Sweeney join the Spider-Man universe. Watch:
Madame Web will release on February 16, 2024, in theatres.
The trailer of Madame Web teases a complex web of storylines, each detail deviating further from the comic books than the other. If you find yourself struggling to piece it all together, you’ve come to the right place. Here’s all you need to know about the upcoming film before watching.
What is the plot of Madame Web?
The official synopsis of the film reads, “In a switch from the typical genre, Madame Web tells the standalone origin story of one of Marvel publishing's most enigmatic heroines. The suspense-driven thriller stars Dakota Johnson as Cassandra Webb, a paramedic in Manhattan who develops the power to see the future… and realizes she can use that insight to change it. Forced to confront revelations about her past, she forges a relationship with three young women bound for powerful destinies...if they can all survive a deadly present.”
Who is Madame Web?
In the film, Dakota Johnson plays Cassandra Webb, a paramedic in New York City. After an accident, she develops clairvoyant powers. The portrayal of the character as seen in the film’s trailer and posters is different right off the bat. Introduced in 1980 in The Amazing Spider-Man No.210 written by Denny O’Neil and illustrated by John Romita Jr., the character is an old woman. She is blind and paralysed and functions using a life-support system made by her husband that is designed like a web. Her powers which include telepathy and precognition, come from a mutant gene rather than an accident or a spider bite. The comic run revolves around Peter Parker approaching Web to rescue a kidnapped person. She then uses her powers to track the criminals and later discovers that Peter is Spider-Man.
See Also: Upcoming Hollywood movies releasing in February: Madame Web, Argylle and more
Like most Marvel characters, Madame Web also gets quite a few makeovers. In one comic run, she appears much younger. She is joined by Spider-Women Jessica Drew, Julia Carpenter (played by Sweeney in the film) and Mattie Franklin (played by Celeste O’Connor in the film) as she tries to control her granddaughter Charlotte Witter who is turned into a Spider-Woman by Doctor Octopus. In another, she is killed and passes on her powers to Julia. Another sees her as a clone. While the comic books take her story in fascinating directions, it looks like the movie will branch off into a unique new direction. We already know that Dakota plays a young Cassandra who struggles to understand her powers after they suddenly get activated. So reading about her backstory isn’t required ahead of the film.
Who are the Spider-Women?
Apart from Madame Web, the film introduces three supporting Spider-Women - Julia Cornwall (Carpenter post-marriage), Anya Corazon and Mattie Franklin. Euphoria star Sydney Sweeney plays Julia. The character first made an appearance in a 1984 comic book run of Secret Wars. She gets her powers after a government agency performs an experiment on her as a part of an “athletic study”, injecting spider venom and plant extracts into her body. She develops mysterious abilities and takes on the Spider-Woman moniker. Her powers come close to those of Spider-Man. She soon finds herself caught up in the Secret Wars and up against villains like Death Web. Julia also joins alliances like the Freedom Force and Iron Man’s Force Works. In the movie, Sydney has red hair and glasses. She dons a black spider suit when fighting crime.
See Also: Madame Web posters reveal Dakota Johnson, Sydney Sweeney and more from the Spider-Man universe
Ghostbusters: Afterlife star Celeste O’Connor plays Mattie Franklin in Madame Web. The teenager got her powers by joining the Gathering of Five, a mystical ritual in which participants either gain great power or pay a heavy price. Each member gets either knowledge, immortality, power, insanity or death. Once she gets her abilities, Mattie helps fight crime in Peter Parker’s absence using his moniker. She also develops a crush on Peter but he declines her advances considering their age difference. The character goes through rather dark chapters in the comics including one where she falls victim to drug exploitation. She is saved by Jessica Drew and Jessica Jones. She then goes on to form her own identity as Spider-Woman. Following in Drew’s footsteps, she gets black and red spider suit. In one comic book run, she was also sacrificed by the Kravinoff family. Upon being resurrected as a clone, she died to protect people from Carrin zombies. Mattie is the third woman to adopt the mantle of Spider-Woman.
Dora and the Lost City of Gold actress Isabela Merced plays Anya Corazon aka Spider-Girl in Madame Web. The Spider-Man character was introduced in the 2004 comic book Amazing Fantasy No.1. The teenage gymnast gets her Spidey powers amidst a gang war that breaks out between two Brooklyn-based clans. Fatally wounded, she finds herself rescued by a Spider Society member who turns out to be Miguel Legar, a sorcerer. Instead of a spider bite or a mutant gene, she gets a magic tattoo that gives her powers. Her abilities include summoning an exoskeleton to protect herself in fights. She joins the sorcerer on his adventures and becomes a Hunter in the Spider Society. In the film, she dons a black and silver bodysuit.
Madame Web marks the three Spider-Women’s first live-action appearances in Sony’s Spider-Man universe. Their onscreen depiction will likely be very different from their comic book origins.
Who is the villain, Ezekiel Sims?
Very little is known about the villain in Madame Web. The film’s big bad, Ezekiel Sims played by Tahar Rahim wears a black Spider suit. While he isn’t Venom, he seems to be another underrated Spider-Man villain. Sims first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man No. 3. He gets his powers before Peter Parker through a Spider-Totem. He is not a villain in the comics but acts as a mentor instead. He even goes on to help Peter against villains like Morlun, a vampire-like being in the multiverse. Sims ultimately sacrifices himself to save Peter in a fight against The Gatekeeper who targets people he thinks are not worthy of possessing spider powers. The film’s trailer sees him attack Cassandra and the Spider-Women in a diner.
See Also: Madame Web trailer: Dakota Johnson and Sydney Sweeney join the Spider-Man universe. Watch:
Madame Web will release on February 16, 2024, in theatres.
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