In 2024, Cassandra Webb will make her live-action Marvel debut in Madame Web, a film that will adapt her and four other Spider-Man characters’ mythologies from comic books.
Madame Web will take place in the same Sony Spider-Man universe as Venom and Morbius. Taking inspiration from Spider-Man comics’ antagonists and supporting cast (but not yet including Spider-Man himself), the SSU will debut its reworking of Madame Web, a formidable Marvel superhero with a rich comic book history.
Madame Web, starring Dakota Johnson as the title character, will go into the history of Cassandra Webb and three other Spider-Womans from Marvel comics. Among them are Isabela Merced as Anya Corazon, Celeste O’Connor as Mattie Franklin, and Sydney Sweeney as Julia Cornwall.
In Madame Web, the film will also feature the ethically dubious Ezekial Sims in a live-action role, dressed in a menacing version of the famous Spider-Man outfit. Regarding Madame Web, the SSU will adapt and reinvent her powers and lore from the comics.
Madame Web’s Comics History Explained
The Amazing Spider-Man issue 210 featured the debut of Madame Web, a creation of Dennis O’Neil and John Romita Jr. Although Madame Web is a mutant in theory, she did not get her abilities through the X-Gene, unlike the characters in the X-Men books.
Rather, Madame Webb is interconnected with the multiverse itself through the Web of Life and Destiny. She gains other superpowers from her link, including the ability to predict the future, which finally makes her Peter Parker’s ally.
Although at first doubtful of Madame Web’s abilities, Spider-Man eventually came to trust her skills, enabling her to help him save lives. Madame Web underwent the titular ceremony in the 1998 comic story arc “Gathering of the Five,” appearing to obtain immortality, while another participant, Mattie Franklin, received “power,” giving her superhuman abilities akin to Spider-Man’s.
The following year, Madame Web would join forces with Mattie and Spider-Woman’s two prior incarnations, Julia Carpenter and Jessica Drew, to apprehend Charlotte Witter, her grandchild. Witter was chosen by Doctor Octopus because she had part of her grandmother’s skills.
He abducted her, gave her superpowers through gruelling trials, and brainwashed her into becoming the evil third Spider-Woman. Madame Web is killed by Sasha Kravinoff, Kraven Hunter’s daughter, even though she was granted immortality at the Gathering of the Five ceremonies.
However, Web granted Julia Carpenter her skills and the moniker Madame Web before her passing. In the “Dead No More” story arc, Ben Reilley—the second Jackal and the former Scarlet Spider—would enable Madame Web to momentarily resurrect.
Madame Web possesses strong psychic powers as a result of her link to the Web of Life and Destiny. Among them is telepathy, which she uses to figure out Spider-Man’s true identity. In addition, Madame Web is skilled in “psychic surgery,” which she employs on her granddaughter to rob her of knowing Spider-Man’s true identity.
Madame Web also possesses the capabilities of clairvoyance, astral projection, and even precognition according to her powerset. She also appeared somewhat younger thanks to Madame Web’s “immortality” gift after the Gathering of the Five ceremonies, however, this effect was only momentary.
Furthermore, Madame Web’s passing in “Grim Hunt” runs counter to her gift. But gifts from the Gathering of the Five aren’t always what they seem to be. The arc makes clear that the rewards participants get are subject to change.
For example, Mental Instability—which Norman Osborn was appropriately named—would develop into knowledge. This would account for Madame Web’s transient new look since her immortality most likely faded with time.
But it’s unclear what the gift changed into. Furthermore, it’s unclear if Julia Carpenter had any repercussions from the Gathering of the Five ritual when Cassandra Webb gave her abilities.