Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Culture

Can Sony’s Madame Web avoid the backlash from The Marvels?

Sony doesn't exactly have a good track record with superheoes unless they're Spider-Man

Blair Marnell
By
Sydney Sweeney as Julia Carpenter in Madame Web.
Sony Pictures

Not too long ago, a comic book movie associated with Marvel was about the closest thing to a sure bet in Hollywood. But as The Marvels‘ lackluster $48.5 million opening weekend proved, not even Marvel Studios is immune from superhero fatigue in a year with comic book movie flops that included The Flash, Blue Beetle, and Shazam! Fury of the Gods. Suddenly, being the next Marvel-related movie on deck isn’t necessarily as enviable as it used to be. Sony’s Madame Web movie is a continuation of the non-Spider-Man films using characters from Peter Parker’s supporting cast as movie stars. In this case, the leading character, Madame Web, is bringing together a team of three different Spider-Women: Spider-Girl, Araña, and of course, Spider-Woman.

It’s hard not to see the parallels between The Marvels and Madame Web, as both films feature nearly all female leads. The key difference between them is that The Marvels had established heroines who have headlined their own comics or even their own movies and Disney+ shows. Madame Web has never starred in a comic, and her Marvel counterpart is an elderly woman who has only ever been a supporting player in Spider-Man’s world. The three Spider-Women in the cast have had short-lived comics, but never anything with long-term success. Given that pedigree, it would be very surprising if Madame Web does much better than The Marvels.

Recommended Videos

Is there a trailer for Madame Web?

Yes! And it reveals just how far away from the source material it’s willing to go.

On the big screen, Cassandra Webb is now a much younger woman who is working as a paramedic when she survives a near-death experience that gives her glimpses of the future. Cassandra then takes it upon herself to warn the three Spider-Women that they are being targeted by Ezekiel Sims, a man who is wearing a very Spider-Man-like costume. In the comics, Ezekiel was an occasional mentor and ally to Peter Parker, and he certainly wasn’t stealing Spider-Man’s look. That was a choice that was probably made in the hope of selling some movie tickets.

Dakota Johnson in Madame Web.
Sony Pictures

Who’s starring in Madame Web?

Dakota Johnson headlines the cast of Madame Web as Cassandra Webb/Madame Web, with Sydney Sweeney as Julia Carpenter/Spider-Woman, Celeste O’Connor as Mattie Franklin/Spider-Girl, Isabela Merced as Anya Corazon/Araña, and Tahar Rahim as Ezekiel Sims. Mike Epps, Emma Roberts, Adam Scott, and Zosia Mamet will also appear in the film.

Related

Madame Web will swing into theaters on February 14, 2024. Whether it will do better than Sony’s last Spider-Man adjacent film, Morbius, remains to be seen.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Blair Marnell
Blair Marnell
We ranked the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movies from worst to best
The fantasy spectacle of a lifetime has no truly bad movies!
The cast of Lord of the Rings

It's hard to believe it's already been over 20 years since Peter Jackson's first The Lord of the Rings film graced theaters all over the world. The screen adaptation of J.R.R Tolkien's revolutionary fantasy novels remains an epic movie event that lasts a lifetime, a timeless story of perseverance, friendship, morality, teamwork, and courage. These themes help ground a plot that is filled with creatures that are truly fantastical, such as hobbits, orcs, wizards, and goblins.

A decade after the first trilogy, Jackson adapted The Hobbit for the big screen, also breaking the story up into three separate movies. While this move might have been more financially motivated than anything else, these movies are still enthralling and entertaining. Improved CGI helped to make the special effects of Middle Earth more modern, a decision that some didn't always agree with.

Read more
Every Batman movie, ranked from worst to best
What is your favorite Batman movie? See if it made this list
Batman lifting The Joker by the collar.

Batman captivates audiences of all ages -- from every walk of life -- no matter whether you like comedy, action, or anything in between. Batman's ability to both transport you back to your childhood, while also making you understand parts of yourself during your current adult life makes him a hero unlike any other.

Despite the obvious fascination and positive traits exuded by Bruce Wayne's alter ego, there have been some varied and sometimes not-so-good adaptations of the Caped Crusader on the screen. Of all Batman movies, big names have depicted the character, such as Michael Keaton and Christian Bale, while the villains have been equally famous ranging from Jack Nicholson to Jim Carrey. We're here to help you sort out over 50 years of Batman's stories, from animated classics to the most recent dark and moody reboot. Here's the worst to the best Batman movies.

Read more
The 10 best Marvel movies, ranked
With 32 MCU movies to choose from, we think the top 10 stand tall above the rest
Avengers Endgame Best Movies

Some people don't like the dominance displayed by the Marvel Cinematic Universe in recent years, as it seemingly blocks out all of the other great cinema on display at the movie theater and at home. Still, there's no denying the pop culture influence and the mainstream adulation towards the superheroes that make up these 32 films in the MCU. With almost 15 years of movies to choose from, most have been a hit, but several also didn't live up to expectations. We're here to help you watch the 10 best Marvel movies, from the Avengers movies to all of the niche MCU movies that make the universe stick and come together in special unison. You can watch nearly all of these movies on Disney Plus!

10. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)

Read more