Sony's next official live-action Spider-Verse project has been announced, and it's Madame Web. This is certainly a shocking turn of events, even for ardent fans of the Webslinger. After all, the good Madame was prominent in the '80s and '90s comics, as well as the '90s Spider-Man cartoon, but nowadays, she's a fairly forgotten relic. She's also never really led a solo story, making this potential movie a headscratcher.
One way that the movie could succeed, however, is by having Spidey himself in a fairly prominent role. The jury is still out on who the official Spider-Man of the Sony Spider-Verse is, and it's absolutely imperative information for this particular movie to work. Here's why Spider-Man needs to be there to untangle the Madame's web.
Who Is Madame Web and How Is She Connected to Spider-Man?
Madame Web debuted in The Amazing Spider-Man #210 and was the creation of Denny O'Neil and John Romita Jr. A psychic mutant, she suffered from a debilitating disease that left her tied to a life-support system. Despite this inconvenience, she used her mental abilities for good, helping Spider-Man many times in the pursuit of justice. Her ties to Spidey increased throughout the years, which was ironic given her last name of Webb, and she was also the grandmother of the fourth Spider-Woman.
Though she continued to show up throughout the years, Madame Web's biggest claim was back in the '90s Spider-Man: The Animated Series, where she was voiced by Joan Lee, Stan Lee's wife. There, she guided Spider-Man in dealings concerning the multiverse, an idea which may inform her live-action movie.
Why Spider-Man Has to Show Up in the Madame Web Movie
To be blunt, no one cares about Madame Web without Spider-Man. She isn't like Morbius and Venom, who've both had several adventures independent of the Wall-Crawler. Madame Web's entire purpose has always been as a Spider-Man supporting cast member, one who never really has adventures of her own. The potential for these adventures is curtailed by her disabilities, and she's really only suited for a mentor-type role.
Thus, Spider-Man himself desperately needs to show up in some form or fashion to justify this movie's existence. This would serve two purposes if done well: not only would it increase interest in a Madame Web movie of all things, but it would finally reveal who the official Spider-Man of Sony's Spider-Verse is. Many have suspected that Morbius, the Venom movies and any other Spidey-related movies will be revealed as being in the same continuity as The Amazing Spider-Man movies. If this is the case, Madame Web could jump off of the multiversal antics introduced in Spider-Man: No Way Home by having her guide and watch over the newly returned Andrew Garfield Spider-Man.
Even if this is a small plot point overall in the movie, trailers need to establish a Spider-Man connection right off of the rip. Otherwise, even hardcore fans might continue to roll their eyes at a Madame Web movie being made. Likewise, there's nothing really for the mainstream audiences to latch onto. Venom was already a popular character in his own right, while Morbius, though much less well-known, at least has the vampire angle going for him. Madame Web, on the other hand, has never weaved a particularly well-known web, so she'll likely need to rely on Spider-Man to do that for her.
Madame Web has yet to receive a release date.