After many delays due to the pandemic, and another short delay after the massive release of Marvel blockbuster Spider-Man: No Way Home, Sony’s Morbius starring Jared Leto finally hit theaters. Riding on the coattails of Spider-Man: No Way Home and with months of promotion, the studio expected the film to be a massive success.
However, it was anything but that. Morbius scored the worst reviews of any Marvel-associated film in years. The film also found itself at the butt of many online jokes for months. With Morbius writers, Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless attached to Sony’s Madame Web, is it possible for the film to dodge the mistakes of its predecessor?
While Morbius had lots of hype surrounding its release, just as Madame Web currently does, the upcoming female-fronted hero film has a major chance of being a game changer for the studio after the Morbius flop fest. The film has a very strong cast of A-list actors including big names like Dakota Johnson, Sydney Sweeney, Emma Roberts, Adam Scott, and many more. As the film is set to introduce new characters from the Spider-Man comics like Cassandra Webb, Julia Carpenter, Mattie Franklin, and Anya Corazón, Madame Web has the chance to do something never seen before within the Spider-verse.
These new characters, combined with a fresh set of talented actors, give Madame Web a fighting chance to be strong at least performance-wise. The film is also set to be directed by S.J. Clarkson, who has worked on successful Marvel projects in the past like Jessica Jones, making Clarkson no stranger to bringing the story of female heroes to life.
As conversations among fans continue to swirl online, theories about what Madame Web could be about have started, and it definitely sounds more promising than the story Morbius told. Morbius told the story of an anti-hero, Dr. Morbius, with a rare blood disorder, who attempts to create a cure for his disease that turns out to be a curse. His efforts transform him into a vampire-like superhuman who needs to feed on blood for survival. It definitely is not Marvel or Sony’s best adaptation story-wise, since it lacks real substance.
However, the rumored story of Madame Web has major potential. Theories expect the story of the upcoming film to be a time travel or multiverse adventure in which Cassandra Webb and her counterparts will set out to make sure Peter Parker is born. Fans are expecting Roberts to play the mother of Peter Parker, as set photos have captured the actress looking pregnant while shooting, so audiences may see Mary Parker pregnant with Peter for the first time ever. Although speculation, these theories raise the stakes for Madame Web, as the story has the substance that will definitely intrigue viewers.
Sony initially announced that Madame Web would hit theaters on October 6th, 2022, but that has since changed with the film release being pushed back to July 2023. This can mean many things, but a release date change isn’t always a bad thing. It allows for more time to be put into the film in regard to behind-the-scenes maintenance, and even gives the studio extra time in case there is any need for reshoots and major edits with CGI.
Another major mistake made in Morbius was Sony’s choice to turn a Spider-Man villain into a protagonist. Attempting to make these characters likable changes the authenticity of the adaptation, and cheapens the payoff of bringing these comic characters to life. By doing this to Morbius, the character's value was ultimately ruined. However, Madame Web won’t fall victim to this. Bringing Spideys allies to the big screen, allows for more longevity for the character within the Spider-Man universe, as the characters can continue to appear alongside Spider-Man and his other heroic friends. As long as Madame Web attempts to stay true to the comic origin and not stray away from the authentic story, Madame Web should fit into the universe just fine.
Aside from all the other elements that go into a comic adaptation, another great thing about the upcoming Madame Web film is that it will present some new superhero powers that aren't always seen on the big screen. Madame Web has abilities like telepathy, clairvoyance, and precognition. She also has a connection to a force referred to as the Web of Life and Destiny, which beholds the past, present, and future. This web is known to hold the multiverse together and is known to be the root of all the power heroes within the spider-verse have. This could bring a breath of fresh air to Sony’s Spider-Man franchise while also having capabilities of tying into the current state of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Nonetheless, when it comes to film franchises there will always be lows, and that's what Morbius was for Sony. However, as Madame Web gears up for its theatrical debut, there is a glimmer of hope. With a strong cast of talented actors, a well-rounded director, and so many new comic characters with tons of depth, Madame Web is not a lost cause. As production of the film begins to wrap up and first promotional pieces are released to the public fans will get a more clear image of what's to come in the upcoming film, however, as of now it seems like Madame Web might be the project to save Sony’s Spider-verse from the epic curse of Morbius.