The Marvel and Sony Spider-Man universe is expanding yet again with Madame Web, and Sydney Sweeney and Dakota Johnson are the latest additions to the ever-growing MCU-adjacent crew.
Their upcoming film, Madame Web, is Sony's first female-centric Marvel superhero film. The project (directed by Jessica Jones alum S.J. Clarkson) began shooting last year and has just been moved up on the theatrical release calendar by Sony. That means it's time for a crash course in all things Madame Web — get ready to have all your questions answered. Like, how are this film and this character connected to Spider-Man? Who exactly is Madame Web? Who will Sydney Sweeney and Isabela Merced be playing in the movie? Below, check out everything you need to know about Madame Web, including the cast, release date, trailer, and more.
Is there a trailer for Madame Web?
On November 15, Sony Pictures released the first trailer for Madame Web. “Her web connects them all,” reads the film's official tagline. Deadline previously reported the film's initial logline back in May 2022: "Madame Web is an origin story of the clairvoyant, whose psychic abilities allow her to see within the spider world.”
According to the trailer's description on YouTube, the full, official synopsis for the film is as follows: “'Meanwhile, in another universe…' In a switch from the typical genre, Madame Web tells the standalone origin story of one of Marvel publishing's most enigmatic heroines. The suspense-driven thriller stars Dakota Johnson as Cassandra Webb, a paramedic in Manhattan who may have clairvoyant abilities. Forced to confront revelations about her past, she forges a relationship with three young women destined for powerful futures... if they can all survive a deadly present.”
In the nearly three-minute long trailer, we get our first look at the film's villain, Sydney Sweeney as Julia Carpenter/Spider-Woman, and Sweeney, Isabela Merced, and Celeste O'Connor in their suits. (Oh, we're so back.)
When does Madame Web come out?
Madame Web has been moved up and down Sony's theatrical release slate for some time now. The first release date for the film was intended to be July 7, 2023. It was then moved to October 6, 2023, then February 16, 2024. The latest move, which seems to be the final change — but nothing's set in stone, especially with the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes — pushes the movie up just a couple days. As noted by The Hollywood Reporter, the premiere date for Madame Web is now February 14, Valentine's Day 2024.
Who is Madame Web?
The character Madame Web, the alternate identity of Cassandra Webb, made her first Marvel comics appearance all the way back in 1980. An ally of Spider-Man, Madame Web is a clairvoyant, telepathic mutant who primarily appears as an old woman. There's quite a lot to Madame Web's story as a person with a disability: In the comics, the hero is blind, lives with a neuromuscular autoimmune disorder that necessitates her connection to a spiderweb-like life support system, and does not actively fight villains. Many of these details will likely play out onscreen — however, we think they'll be portrayed with some significant edits and creative reimagining.
Who is in the cast of Madame Web?
Dakota Johnson was officially cast to play Cassandra Webb, the Madame herself, in early 2022. Sydney Sweeney will play Julia Carpenter; Isabela Merced, Celeste O'Connor, Emma Roberts, Adam Scott, Mike Epps, Tahar Rahin, and Zosia Mamet have also joined the cast, but in undisclosed roles.
While Sony and Marvel have yet to confirm which characters these actors are taking on, there's lots of speculation and guesswork happening among fans. It's to be believed that Merced will play Anya Corazon, O'Connor will play Mattie Franklin, and Roberts and Scott will play Mary and Ben Parker. If true, this means Madame Web could essentially serve as a sort of prequel story and/or a multiversal romp — Anya Corazon, Mattie Franklin, and Julia Carpenter are all Spider-Women.
“Following the massive success of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Sony is looking to expand on its universe of Marvel characters,” Deadline shared of Johnson's casting and the film itself in February 2022. There's also speculation that if not a prequel, the film version of Madame Web will be a brand new take on the character, given the differences between Johnson and the OG character's age and depiction of her medical condition.
Johnson has talked a bit about what it's like to join such a massive franchise. "It was a wild experience," she told Variety in January 2023. “I don't think you can be prepped to go into anything like that, but I learned so much.”
While speaking to Total Film in May 2023, Sydney Sweeney said she “couldn't be more excited” and that she “can't wait to be able to talk about” the movie. “I can’t wait to be able to be next to the girls that I filmed with, Dakota and Isabela, and Celeste," Sweeney said. "We had so much fun together. And I’m really excited that it’s just gonna be a powerhouse of badass females for the world to see.”
