Sony's movies exploring characters from comic books have developed Venom and Morbius as major movie antiheroes, with Kraven the Hunter coming in 2024. Now a new film will take full advantage of that concept on Valentine's Day.
This new MADAME WEB movie is a suspense-driven thriller and stars Dakota Johnson in the title role. Madame Web tells the standalone origin story of one of Marvel publishing's most enigmatic heroines. The first trailer for MADAME WEB, which you can see below, reveals quite a lot, and gives us plenty to talk about.
When Does Madame Web Come Out?
Sony will release MADAME WEB in movie theatres on February 14, 2024.
Watch the First Madame Web Trailer
Before this trailer was released, we (and many other people) wondered exactly how MADAME WEB would be a movie. The main comic book version of the character, after all, is a very old blind woman — not exactly the sort of lead we tend to see in a major studio superhero movie.
This trailer clears up our main question while raising many others.
When and Where Does Madame Web Take Place?
The movie's official synopsis begins with "Meanwhile, in another universe…". We know that Dakota Johnson does play a young version of the classic elderly Madame Web character — and we know that the costumed Spider-Women seen in the trailer are identities the characters may take on in the future.
So when is MADAME WEB set? The cars and fashions — not to mention the PSP we see one character holding — suggest the mid-2000s. (The PSP was released in North America in March 2005.)
What Other Characters Are in Madame Web?
There's Julia Carpenter. In comics, she was introduced in 1984. Notably, she also became the second Madame Web. Then there's Mattie Franklin, introduced in 1998. She got her powers from a strange ceremony conducted by the original Green Goblin, Norman Osborn. Finally, there's Anya Corazon. She was introduced in 2004. The Latino Anya was originally called Araña, which means spider, before rebranding to Spider-Girl.
Ezekiel Sims Is the Madame Web Villain
Last but not least, there's Ezekiel Sims. In comics, the character — like Madame Web — is depicted as being much older than we see him here. In MADAME WEB, Sims is clearly more of an aggressive character than he has traditionally been in comics. But since this is clearly positioned as an alternate universe story, there's no huge contradiction in the different versions.
The Cast of Madame Web
We've talked a lot about the characters in this movie without discussing who plays most of them. Dakota Johnson is Cassandra "Cassie" Webb, and in her pre-superheroic career as a paramedic it looks like she works opposite a man played by Adam Scott.
Sydney Sweeney plays Julia Carpenter, Celeste O'Connor is Mattie Franklin, and Isabela Merced plays Anya Corazon. Tahar Rahim plays the villain, Ezekiel Sims. And then there are roles played by Mike Epps, Emma Roberts, and Zosia Mamet.
MADAME WEB opens on February 14, 2024.
All images courtesy of Sony Pictures.