Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for Madame Web.
Sony Pictures continues with the studio’s attempts at crafting a live-actionSpider-Manfilm universe in the new Spidey-themed big-screen adventure,Madame Web. The new live-action feature starsDakota Johnsonas Cassandra Webb, aka Madame Web of the Marvel Comics Universe. InMadame Web, Cassandra inexplicably finds herself wrapped up in the lives of three teenage girls: Julia Cornwall (Sydney Sweeney); Mattie Franklin (Celeste O’Connor); and Anya Corazon (Isabela Merced). Throughout the film, after receiving dire visions of their fate, Cassandra seeks to protect the girls from Ezekiel Sims (Tahar Rahim). Sims is hunting and planning to murder the girls, who are destined to become the spider heroes known best to Marvel comic readers as Spider-Woman (Julia), Araña (Anya), and the third Spider-Woman (Mattie). While its connections tothe greater Marvel Cinematic Universeand other Spider-Man films are nebulous, it’s clear that Sony Pictures intended for this film to be somewhat of a prequel. The film is chock-full of references and characters that place it withinthe extended Sony Spider-Man Universe.
Madame Web
Cassandra Webb is a New York City paramedic who starts to show signs of clairvoyance. Forced to confront revelations about her past, she must protect three young women from a mysterious adversary who wants them dead.
Madame Web Is Mostly Set in 2003
Other than a prologue and some flashbacks set in 1973,Madame Webis largely set in 2003 in New York City. The prologue depicts a deadly encounter with Ezekiel Sims in the Amazon rainforest, and then the film reintroduces Cassandra Web as a young adult living in New York as a paramedic for the New York City Fire Department. Her ambulance partner is Ben Parker (Adam Scott). And yes,the movie makes it clear thatBen Parkeris the one and only Uncle Ben, the adoptive and surrogate father of Peter Parker, aka the original Spider-Man. Cassandra enjoys a good rapport with Ben, and they are close, platonic friends who trust one another. Early on in the film, it’s revealed that Ben’s sister-in-law, Mary Parker (Emma Roberts), is pregnant and about to hold a baby shower. Ben also shares with Cassandra that he’s met someone special, and things are getting serious. While the identity of this special someone is never revealed, one can assume the person Ben is referring to is May Reilly, the woman destined to become Peter’s beloved Aunt May Parker.
Due to the timing of the central events ofMadame Web’s story, the movie may be attempting to introduce this time frame as set before the events ofthe MCU Spider-Man trilogy. The year 2003 would place this film right into the range of Peter becoming a teenager and being introduced as New York City’s Spider-Man inCaptain America: Civil War, which leads right into the events ofSpider-Man: Homecoming. Considering the 2003 setting, the absence of Aunt May onscreen, and how vague the MCU Spider-Man trilogy is about Uncle Ben, Pete’s biological parents, and general upbringing, the clues point toMadame Webacting as a potential prequel toSpider-Man: Homecoming.
Who Are Spidey’s Parents?
In addition to showcasing Ben Parker as a prominent character, friend, and ally to Cassandra Web,Madame Webincludes Peter Parker’s mother, Mary, in the film.During the narrative, Cassandra Webb attends the baby shower for Mary, where the gender of the baby is revealed to be a boy. Cassandra takes part in a guessing game for the baby’s name. Although the baby’s name is never announced, a balloon conveniently pops just as it sounds like Mary is about to say the word, “Peter.” What about Peter Parker’s father, Richard Parker? Mary and other characters refer to Richard Parker during the baby shower, where he’s conspicuously absent, as Mary indicates that her husband is overseas, but she truly doesn’t know exactly where. This alludes to Mary and Richard’s Marvel comic book backstories, where they were spies for the government.
‘Madame Web’ Review: Dakota Johnson Gets Trapped in Her Own ‘Morbius’
Sony’s ‘Madame Web’ is an utterly tedious slog of a movie drained of fun visuals and, most pressingly, any sense of tangible humanity.
Richard and Mary Parker were introduced on the big screen for the first time inThe Amazing Spider-Man, portrayed byCampbell ScottandEmbeth Davidtz. However, inthe twoAmazing Spider-Manfilms, Richard Parker was portrayed as a scientist researching spiders for OsCorp, and neither were spies for the government. This completely eliminates the possibility ofMadame Webacting as a direct prequel to the twoAmazing Spider-Manfilms, since neither Mary nor Richard are portrayed as scientists here, and it’s heavily implied that Richard is away on some type of covert intelligence mission.
At the end of the film, Mary Parker goes into labor and gives birth to a healthy baby boy. While it’s never specifically stated that the baby is Peter Parker, one of the girls mentions to Cassandra Webb that Ben is happy to become an uncle “with all of the fun and none of theresponsibility.” The line is obviouslya reference to Uncle Ben’s iconic catchphrase, “With great power, comes great responsibility.“Cassandra responds sarcastically, noting with precognitive awareness that Ben will have his hands full in the coming years.
The Destiny of the Spider-Women
In the final battle with Ezekiel, Cassandra Webb manages to gain control of her clairvoyant abilities, bringing about Ezekiel Sims' demise, which he was trying to avoid by hunting the teen girls to prevent them from becoming spider heroes. However, the fight leaves Cassandra both blind and paraplegic. Despite Cassandra’s blindness and paralysis, she gainsintrospection and peace from her recent journey.In the epilogue, she assumes a new role as the girls' primary guardian and caretaker. Cassandra’s premonition appears onscreen, implying that the three girls eventually become superheroes. Cassandra’s blindness is likely permanent, but she will regain the ability to walk and will join the girls as a team of powerful spider heroes who fight crime. The girls will each get their own costumes, as will Cassandra. However, they do not receive their costumes or superpowers, or truly become actual superheroes, during the film’s runtime.
The film’s connection to the otherSpider-Manfilms is nebulous. However, considering that the MCU revealed the Marvel Multiverse andSpider-Man: Into the Spider-Verserevealed the Spider-Verse, one could argue thatMadame Webandevery other Spider-Man-themed spinoff made by Sony Picturesare essentially canon to everything else. Kevin Feige might argue otherwise, but that’sa whole other can of wormsfor another time.
Sony’s next Spider-Man-themed spinoff movie,Kraven the Hunter, is due out August 30. So,Sony’s live-action Spider-Man Universefeaturing spinoffs that do not portray Spider-Man will continue later this year. Well,Madame Webdoes include Spider-Man, albeit it’s Peter Parker as an infant.
Madame Webis now playing in theaters in the U.S.
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