Tom Holland’s Spider-Man might be in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but before that, Sony had the big-screen rights to Spider-Man and all his related characters. The studio still does, giving Sony the ability to create their own interconnected universe of comic book characters - or keep them separate. The studio has big screen ventures with Venom and Morbius, but it’s also got a slew of projects in development. Kraven and Chameleon will also come to the big screen, movies are in development for Black Cat and Silver Sable, and a television series is in development for Silk.
Spider-Woman is also rumored to have a movie in development. One character that’s no longer a rumor is Madame Web. Sony has already found an actress to play the leading role. Dakota Johnson is set to bring Madame Web to live action for the first time. The movie has been in development for a few years now, but it’s still not clear when filming will begin or when it will be ready for theaters. Some fans of comic book properties on the big screen might not be as familiar with Madame Web as they are Spider-Man.
Madame Web’s Original Comic Storyline
Madame Web, real name Cassandra Webb, was created by Dennis O’Neal and John Romita Jr, making her comic book debut in 1980 in Amazing Spider-Man. The character has appeared off and off ever since, but she first appeared as someone with psychic abilities that Peter Parker thought was a fake. When she eventually revealed to him that she knew he was Spider-Man, he began to believe in her abilities.
Her nickname didn’t just come from her last name being Webb, but also the machinery that surrounded her. Cassandra was born with a rare neurological condition called myasthenia gravis. In reality, the neurological disorder affects the communication between neurons and muscles, most often the muscles associated with eyes, mouth, and limbs. In the comics, that was demonstrated by Cassandra becoming paralyzed and blind. Her husband designed a network of machinery to aid her movements that resembled a large spider web.
Madame Web is a mutant who demonstrated clairvoyance. She used her visions to work as a medium, but her path did cross with other heroes. Often, her visions were connected to Spider-Man or a victim he was searching for - or an enemy he was facing. It was one of those enemies who eventually took her life in the comics. Ana Kravinoff, the daughter of Kraven the Hunter who took on his villainous moniker, killed her as part of a revenge scheme targeting Spider-Man.
Madame Web’s Replacement
Cassandra Webb is an elderly woman at the time of her death, which means there are plenty of stories from her younger days that the comics never explored. When she died, however, the legacy of Madame Web didn’t die with her. She managed to transfer her abilities to someone else. Cassandra chose Julia Carpenter to succeed her.
Julia Carpenter was the second Spider-Woman after Jessica Drew's debut (and later, used the codename Arachne). She was experimented on during what she thought was a simple athletic study while she was in college. Thanks to the experiment, she ended up with similar abilities to Spider-Man, and she became a superhero in her own right, though frequently found herself targeted as though she was a criminal. She had enough different powers to keep her interesting, like creating webs out of psychokinetic energy.
Julia, created by Jim Shooter and Mike Zeck, made her comic book debut just four years after Cassandra as part of the Secret Wars event series that saw heroes fighting for their lives in Battleword, far from Earth. Her path only crossed with Cassandra because Julia, as well as a handful of other spider-themed heroes, were kidnapped by the Kravinoff family. She was present when Cassandra was fatally wounded, and so, she received Madame Web’s abilities.
She became a large part of the Spider-Island storyline, there to advise Peter Parker as normal humans began developing spider-powers. As Madame Web, Julia has also played a role in the multiversal Spider-Man storylines as she’s connected to multiple spider-heroes and is able to see many possible futures of theirs. She, however, isn’t the only other Madame Web in the comics.
Ultimate Madame Web
The Ultimate Universe is an interesting timeline in Marvel Comics. The same heroes that comic book fans are familiar with still live there, but their lives are very different. Black Widow and Iron Man, for example, are in a relationship before Black Widow betrays the Avengers. Hawkeye is married and has children - and Black Widow is responsible for their deaths. Small tweaks to the universe leaves long-time comic book fans in for a surprise.
One of those surprises is Madame Web. Cassandra Webb is the Madame Web in that universe, but she’s a younger and stronger woman engaged in missions for a government organization. There, she is still blind and utilizing a wheelchair, but she has telepathic abilities as well, able to actually get into the heads of others.
In that reality, Madame Web isn’t always the good guy. She worked with a team of psychics intent on meddling in Spider-Woman’s brain to alter her memories permanently.
Madame Web On The Big Screen
With so many versions of Madame Web, it does beg the question as to which version of the character Dakota Johnson will be bringing to life. The original does seem like the best candidate, but the Marvel Cinematic Universe has borrowed quite a bit from the Ultimate Universe when it comes to the movies, and Sony might do the same.
Of course, if Sony is attempting to make their many Spider-character projects a connected universe, it’s entirely possible Johnson could be the Julia Carpenter version of the character, someone whose story has already been in progress that the audience hasn’t been privy to until now. If that’s the case, her story could be spinning out of the Kraven the Hunter movie that is currently in development as well.
Madame’s Web’s primary function in the comics is often to bring Peter Parker together with other spider-heroes from other timelines and universes, not unlike what’s played out in Spider-Man: No Way Home and the animated Across The Spider-Verse.
Fans will have to wait a while to find out. There is no known release date to expect Madame Web on the big screen.
