The Spider-Man universe of Sony continues to grow steadily and the next project is already planned for early 2024. The talk is of "Madame Web". If you know the comics, you may already be familiar with her. But for those who have only watched the Spider-Man movies, this is a brand new character brought to life on the big screen. What Madame Web is all about and what is known about the movie so far, is revealed to you in this article! So stay tuned.

Who is Madame Web?

Since the comic book character named Cassandra Webb might be new to most of you, let's have a more in-depth look at her backstory. She was born blind in Salem, Oregon, and has suffered from myasthenia, an autoimmune disease, since birth. This weakened her physically, but led to the development of special mental talents: In addition to her psychic abilities, she can communicate telepathically. She can sense upcoming dangers in advance and, similar to Doctor Strange, leave her body through astral projection. This is particularly useful because she is severely impaired due to her illness and is confined most of the time to a special chair that looks like the center of a spider's web.

By the way, the civil name of the comic character is no coincidence: Cassandra is a well-known mythological figure of antiquity and the daughter of the Trojan king Priam. She was cursed by the god Apollo to be able to see into the future, but never to be believed despite her warnings. She is therefore considered a tragic heroine: she sees the threat, but cannot avert it. Her equivalent Cassandra Webb is hopefully fated for a different destiny.

Appearances in Spider-Man Comics and Series

The character first made its appearance in the 1980 comic "The Amazing Spider-Man #210". There, Spider-Man seeks out Cassandra to help him locate a kidnap victim. At first, Spidey doesn't have faith in her powers. However, when she suddenly shows up at his apartment and reveals to him that she knows his identity, they become allies. In later adventures, she frequently helps him foresee crimes. Madame Web also made an appearance in the 1994 animated series.

Cast

Naturally, the big question is: Who will play the title role of "Madame Web"? Besides the casting of the mystical clairvoyant, quite a lot is already known about the cast. This much in advance: We will see many well-known female faces from Hollywood.

Madame Web

Madame Web will be played by Dakota Johnson, who most of you are likely to recognize from her starring role in "Fifty Shades of Grey". But fans of sophisticated horror might also know her from the remake of "Suspiria". In the case of "Madame Web", she outshone other actresses like Charlize Theron or Amy Adams, who were also considered. Many comic fans are dissatisfied as they consider Johnson too young for the role. However, the decision to cast a relatively young character is also an indication that those in charge are looking for a more long-term portrayal in other movies as well. For Johnson, it's her first role in a comic book adaptation.

Spider-Woman, Spider-Girl and More

Whether we will see Spider-Man is still unclear, but Spider-Woman will play a major role in "Madame Web". Sydney Sweeney, known primarily from the series "Euphoria", has been cast for the role. Even if it has not been officially confirmed yet, it is considered pretty certain that she will play Julia Carpenter. Julia received her superpowers in an experiment involving a mixture of spider venom and a plant poison.

The character's appearance is considered likely, in part, because the "Kraven the Hunter" movie will hit theaters prior to "Madame Web" on October 6, 2023. In the comics, Julia plays a crucial role in preventing Spider-Man from killing Kraven.

But she may not remain the only Spider-Woman. Besides her, Celeste O'Connor as Mattie Franklin and Isabela Merced as Anya Corazon have also been cast. We were able to see O'Connor back in 2021's "Ghostbusters: Legacy". Her character Mattie also has a direct connection to Madame Web in the comics: In the "Gathering of Five" ritual, people attempted to use ancient relics to transfer special powers to humans. While Madame Web became immortal in the process, Mattie acquired superhuman abilities as well.

Isabela Merced had her first big role in "Transformers: The Last Knight", where she played the young Izabella. Her new role Anya Corazon is the youngest superheroine and is also called Spider-Girl in the comics. She got her powers from the Spider-Society. They considered her worthy because she stood up for the weaker ones in high school and protected them from school bullies.

The roles of O'Connor and Merced have not been officially confirmed yet, but based on insider reports, they are regarded as certain. Rumor has it that a "Spider-Girl" movie is also in development - in which case an appearance of the character in "Madame Web" would make perfect sense.

Spidey's Family

Regardless of whether Spider-Man himself turns up, his family definitely plays a role in "Madame Web". Both Peter Parker's mother Mary and his uncle Ben have been cast. Mary's role will be played by Emma Roberts while Ben will be played by Adam Scott. Ben in particular is expected to play a key role in the movie. Whether we will also see Aunt May and Spider-Man's father Richard Parker remains unknown.

Other Actors in Unknown Roles

The cast is rounded out by actors such as Zosia Mamet, "Resident Evil" actor Mike Epps and Tahar Rahim. Nothing is known about their roles so far, but there are rumors that Tahar Rahim could play Ezekiel Sims - another version of Spider-Man.

Production

The director of "Madame Web" is S.J. Clarkson. For her, it's the first big Hollywood project after gaining experience on the Marvel series "The Defenders". We are excited to find out whether she will be able to leave an impression on Sony's Spider-Verse. The script was written by the same authors as "Morbius", which will surely cause some fans to raise a few eyebrows. Meanwhile, "Spider-Man: No Way Home" experienced cinematographer Mauro Fiore was responsible for the camera.

In charge of the production is none other than the producer of the "Transformers" franchise, Lorenzo di Bonaventura. He has already stated that the movie will not primarily focus on action. Instead, the movie will be more of a thriller, in keeping with the tricky abilities of the main character.

Filming began in July 2022 and was concluded at the end of the year, meaning that the movie is currently in post-production. The film was originally supposed to be released on July 7, 2023, but like so many other projects, the release date got postponed: "Madame Web" will now be out in theaters on February 16, 2024, so we will likely get to see some first footage soon. With the release of "Kraven the Hunter" in October at the latest, there will most certainly be some updates or a first teaser trailer.

Plot

Those responsible are still remaining silent about the plot of "Madame Web". This is because the majority of the audience does not yet know the character and could therefore be taken by surprise by the film. In an interview with ComicBook.com, however, the producer explained that an origin story will be told and that the mysterious past of the character from the comics will be addressed. In the interview, Spider-Man fans are said to love the character because they would learn how she became the person known from the comics.

Meanwhile, leaked photos from the set have raised questions about which versions of Madame Web and Spider-Woman we will actually see in the final film. We won't go into details here to avoid spoilers, but this much can be said: The movie might have a few surprises in store even for those who are familiar with the comics. In addition, there will probably be an explanation as to why the role of the actually very old Cassandra Webb was cast with an actress in her 30s.

A strong hint for speculations about the story is also the allegedly important role of Ben Parker. Most of us actually know him as the caregiver for his nephew Peter, and he passes away relatively soon after the start of Peter's superhero career. So it's reasonable to wonder why he's significant for "Madame Web" and when exactly the movie is supposed to take place chronologically. Here, we should consider the title character's ability to see into the future - along with the young cast that includes Dakota Johnson. Thus, a plot that is set some time before Spider-Man is quite imaginable, if not even before Peter's birth. Appropriately, the movie was shot in the financial district of Boston, which is supposed to be representative of 2000s New York City. The first trailer for "Madame Web" will probably bring more clarity - we are looking forward to sharing it with you on our channel!