It’s been a few months since the rumors first broke that Sony was working on a secret Madame Web movie. And ever since, fans worldwide have expressed their delight—both at seeing a Spider-Verse movie finally focus on a female main character, and at the possibility of Tom Holland’s Peter Parker getting introduced to the Sony side of the Spider-Verse. Especially considering where Spider-Man: No Way Home left the latest incarnation of our favorite web-slinger.
With MJ, Ned, and the rest of the world seemingly having forgotten about him —and with a wide-open multiverse standing right there—it doesn’t seem like too far-fetched of a theory to think that the MCU and Sony sides of Spider-Man might soon clash in a major, story-altering way. These Madame Web cast and characters, rumored and confirmed, are exciting Madame Web movie news.
Fans’ excitement only grew with each new casting rumor that has hit our screens from May until now. First, it was the confirmation that Dakota Johnson was playing the lead character—Madame Web—meaning that she probably won’t appear as the elderly woman we’re most likely to recognize her as, considering that Johnson herself is in her early 30s.
Then it was the announcement that Sydney Sweeney, of Euphoria fame, had joined the movie’s ranks—maybe to play Julia Carpenter, one of the Spider-Woman incarnations, or perhaps even Spider-Gwen. Speculations only increased with the addition of another blonde actress to the cast, Emma Roberts.
More hype followed the news that Adam Scott would also be in the movie—to play, as the rumors would have it, a younger version of Peter’s wisdom-dispensing uncle Ben Parker. And to top it all off, we can’t forget the set photos showing Johnson and Scott filming the movie dressed as soaking wet EMTs.
So what’s true? What isn’t? With the rumor mill going haywire it might be hard to keep track of it all—which is why I went directly to check Madame Web’s IMDb page. Let’s see what we got.
Ben Parker and Mary Parker
The rumors that first popped up on The Cosmic Circus seem to be very much confirmed by the official “Cast” section of Madame Web’s IMDb—Adam Scott will indeed be playing a younger version of Ben Parker, even though his relationship to the titular Madame Web is still under wraps.
Emma Roberts will also step into the shoes of someone very close to Peter Parker—his mother, Mary, aged down probably to match Scott’s Ben. The storylines that will involve them both are obviously very secret—this is a Spider-verse movie we’re talking about—but their presence in Madame Web will probably have some major implications for Peter and his presence in future projects.
Spider-Woman and Spider-Girl
According to Madame Web’s IMDb, Sydney Sweeney is indeed playing Julia Carpenter, the second heroine to be known as Spider-Woman and also the second to take up the mantel of Arachne.
Sweeney will be joined by Celeste O’Connor in the role of Mattie Franklin, the third incarnation of Spider-Woman— will Mattie be known as Spider-Woman in the Madame Web movie? That’s a whole other question that depends on the timeline the story will follow.
And let’s not forget that IMDb also lists actress Isabela Merced as part of the cast, playing the role of Anya Corazon—also known as Spider-Girl. Lots of Spider-People to go around, then—though how their stories intersect with each other and with Madame Web remains to be seen.
Madame Web
As for the titular character herself, we already know that Dakota Johnson is stepping into the lead role. But what incarnation of Madame Web will she play? We know that the usual appearance of the character is that of an elderly woman, so does this mean that the movie will be a sort of origin story for the Madame Web we have come to know in the comics? Could she be a different incarnation altogether, what with the multiverse being open and all? The possibilities are endless.
IMDb also lists Zosia Mamet, Tahar Rahim, and Mike Epps as part of the main cast, though their roles still haven’t been revealed. The rumor mill has suggested that Tahar Rahim’s character might be the actual villain of the story, while Mike Epps could play Mattie Franklin’s father, Jerry.
For now, Madame Web is scheduled to open in theaters in July of 2023—hopefully, some more information will be revealed along the way—we’ll keep you updated!
(via: The Cosmic Circus; image: Marvel)
