Another day, another Sony-Marvel property catches actors in its web. Today’s IP in question is Madame Web, a movie about the titular character, who appears in the Spider-Man comics. Directed by S.J. Clarkson with a screenplay by Morbius’s Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless, the latest entry to Sony’s universe of Marvel comic adaptations is the first with a female lead. The movie is still in early development, but its intriguing casting decisions have us wondering if the “allegedly locking people in a Blue Bottle Coffee” thing was a Madame Web Method acting exercise. While the answer may be elusive, here’s all the casting, plot, and release information we do know so far. Get caught in the web.
Who is Madame Web, anyway?
Madame Web is a supporting character in the Spider-Man comics. In 2019, Marvel wrote a handy-dandy article titled “Caught in Spidey’s Web: 5 Things to Know About Madame Web,” where the company tells the un-indoctrinated about the superperson. According to the site, Madame Web’s government name is Cassandra Webb; she is a blind, clairvoyant elderly woman suffering from a chronic neuromuscular disease that makes moving and breathing tough. She also advises Peter Parker, a.k.a. Spider-Man, whenever the young hero needs guidance and even knows Parker’s true identity. Seated in a web-shaped chair that doubles as a life-support machine, she uses her psychic powers to fight crime.
Do we know the plot of the movie?
No, we don’t! What we do know is there will be no Marvel Cinematic Universe tie-ins for Madame Web for now, Collider reports. While we don’t have any other details at this moment, Hollywood doesn’t often go with elderly leads, so we’re guessing it’s made the ageist decision to depict the young Cassandra. Collider also speculates that Madame Web is sort of like the MCU’s Doctor Strange, holding the key to the multiverse through her psychic abilities. Hopefully, this looks more like Everything Everywhere All at Once and not Multiverse of Madness. With a script from the Morbius writers, though, all bets are off. What we do know is the setting. Boston.com reported that the film crew turned Boston’s Financial District into an early-aughts NYC for the film. If this movie is set then, we look forward to the prospect of Adam Scott in Juicy Couture.
Who’s all in it?
It’s a grab bag of young Hollywood stars, people who may be responsible for ending Ellen DeGeneres’s run on the Ellen show, and the character from Euphoria voted most likely to get her ass beat by Maddy. Dakota Johnson of The Lost Daughter and Fifty Shades of Grey leads the cast as Madame Web, while Sydney Sweeney and Scream Queens’ Emma Roberts co-star. Adam Scott, with a shiny new Emmy nomination in tow, is reportedly also joining the cast, according to Deadline, though Sony has yet to comment on his potential casting. Selah and the Spades standout Celeste O’Connor, Isabela Merced, and Tahar Rahim round out the cast.
When does it come out?
After several delays, the film is set to come out on February 16, 2024.
Is this a Scream Queens–The Lost Daughter crossover episode?
It had better be.
