Sony’s Madame Web is generating buzz, thanks in part to an intriguing international promo featuring star Dakota Johnson and new casting that could reveal her connection to Spider-Man. No, we don’t mean “he was in the Amazon with my mom while she was researching spiders before she died”.
Marvel Studios’ 2024 film slate only includes Deadpool 3, as we recently learned. Considering the tepid response at the box office to the recent MCU films, Sony Pictures Entertainment is poised to benefit if it plays its cards right with the upcoming Spider-Verse projects. As Madame Web is the first of these to be released, it has the added pressure of setting expectations for the rest.
Will it make a good impression on fans watching the movie who are tired of “superhero fatigue”? Madam Web lead star Dakota Johnson certainly thinks so, as she speaks highly of her role and predicts the film’s success in a new promo clip.
#MadameWeb #DakotaJohnson pic.twitter.com/5mjINUAmL3
— betül (@BetoDraws) January 11, 2024
The video provides a quick glimpse of Cassandra Webb, the contender character portrayed by Johnson. She teased the audience with the promise that they would love the movie – so much so that they might watch it twice. Could this be a sign that the film will indeed have multiple endings?
Another potential hook is being kept under wraps as the casting of Emma Roberts and Adam Scott and what roles they are playing. Although the film wrapped early last year, details on what their roles are are scarce. This fueled speculation that they were portraying Peter Parker’s mother, Mary, and his beloved Uncle Ben, respectively.
Adam Scott’s portrayal of Uncle Ben, a key figure in the Spider-Man mythos, will bring a fresh perspective to the character. In Madam Webb, Scott’s character is portrayed as a young paramedic who briefly collaborates with Cassandra Webb before her transition into a super-powered Guardian.
While the extent of Scott’s role remains uncertain, his appearance confirms Peter Parker’s existence in Madam Web’s universe – not that this is surprising – and puts a new spin, apologetically, on Ben Parker’s background.
Additionally, if Emma Roberts is indeed playing Mary Parker, this will be the first time Peter Parker’s mom is portrayed with real depth. In previous Spider-Man films, with the exception of The Amazing Spider-Man 1 and 2, the future wall-crawler’s birth parents were featured in the backstory. Interestingly, Sony has not released any promotional image of Emma Roberts, adding fuel to the fire of speculation.
In the comic books, Richard and Mary Parker were CIA agents engaged in a secret mission during the Cold War. If the Madam Web movie is taking a page from comic book history, Mary’s role could be pivotal in unraveling the wider plot involving Ezekiel Sims and Madam Web.
After a near-fatal accident, Cassandra embarks on a mission to rescue three women—Julia Carpenter (Sydney Sweeney), Mattie Franklin (Celeste O’Connor), and Anya Corazon (Isabella Merced)—from the relentless Ezekiel Sims.
Her journey uncovers the mystery behind her mother’s disappearance, which results in her adopting the moniker ‘Madame Web’ as she mentors three young women chosen by the spider-totem.
With the possible addition of Spider-Man’s mother and a younger version of Uncle Ben, the movie’s plot could set Sony’s future plans for a completely new direction for their Spider-Man, separate from the Marvel Cinematic Universe – but where does that leave Andrew Garfield’s rumored The Amazing Spider-Man 3? is
Madame Web will hit theaters in February. 14, 2024.
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