Sony and Marvel’s latest Spider-Man spinoff, Madame Web, has finally swung into theaters. Set in the year 2003, Madame Web follows paramedic/clairvoyant Cassie Webb (Dakota Johnson) as she tries to protect three young women destined to become Spider-Women from being hunted down by the evil Ezekiel Sims (Tahar Rahim). Said Spider-Women include Julia Cornwall (Sydney Sweeney), Mattie Franklin (Celeste O’Connor), and Anya Corazon (Isabela Merced).
Though it is only the fourth film in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, it has been received just as well as one would expect from the franchise at this point. Before this film even came out, fans knew it would be another misfire on par with Morbius, and things have turned out just as they were foretold. Nevertheless, it’s clear that this story is meant to set up something big for the franchise. So now, let’s break down what the movie and its ending mean for this cinematic universe.
What is Madame Web about?
The film begins in 1973 with Cassie’s mother, Constance, researching a rare, mystical spider in the Peruvian Amazon with Ezekiel, hoping its healing properties would cure her unborn daughter’s debilitating illness. Unfortunately, Ezekiel steals the spider for himself, shooting and leaving Constance for dead. Before the latter succumbs to her wounds, an indigenous, superpowered tribe has one of these spiders bite her to try and heal her. This gives Cassie powers that lie dormant in her until a near-death experience in the present day.
As Cassie tries to master her new precog abilities, she foresees Ezekiel attempting to kill the three future Spider-Women and tries to protect them from his wrath. Cassie eventually learns that Ezekiel was cursed by the spider he stole, giving him superpowers akin to Spider-Man but haunting him with visions of his death at the hands of the three Spider-Women, whom he hopes to kill first.
The film’s subplot reveals that Webb’s friend/co-worker (Adam Scott), who helps Cassie hide the girls from Ezekiel, is none other than Peter Parker’s beloved Uncle Ben. Not only that, but Ben’s sister-in-law, Mary (Emma Roberts), is pregnant with the future neighborhood Spider-Man, and she goes into labor while they’re in hiding.
How does Madame Web end?
Cassie and the girls succeed in killing Ezekiel, but the former is rendered blind by a stray firework that was lit during the battle. However, her blindness enhances her clairvoyant abilities, and with her living out of a wheelchair, Cassie has completed her transformation into the Madame Web fans know from the comics.
At the same time, Ben witnesses Mary give birth to Peter in the hospital, with Cassie already foreseeing Ben and his nephew’s legendary fate. This ending seems to lay the groundwork for a new Peter Parker to appear in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, but given the timeline of the film, he likely won’t be one that fans are familiar with (sorry, Andrew Garfield as Spider-Man fans). Cassie’s knowledge of Peter also implies that Cassie will work closely with the webslinger in the future.
In the end, Cassie continues to look after Julia, Mattie, and Anya as a surrogate mother figure. Though the girls haven’t acquired their superpowers yet, Cassie sees that they will become the web-slinging vigilantes as envisioned throughout the film, ending it with a teaser for what seems to be a sequel story.
Does Madame Web have a post-credits scene?
Surprisingly, Madame Web has zero post-credits scenes. Also, despite its connections to Spider-Man and the mythos surrounding the character, the story has little to no connection to the rest of Sony’s Spider-Man Universe or the Marvel Cinematic Universe. At first glance, it’s hard to tell if Venom or Morbius are even set in the same universe.
It may be refreshing to see a superhero film try to stand out on its own these days without resorting to post-credits scenes. However, one would think that a film with such low expectations from audiences would try to fall back on its connections to a bigger narrative, especially if it involves one of the most beloved superheroes in the world. But it appears that Sony was scared away from this approach by the fallout of that Morbius-Vulture crossover in Morbius.
All in all, Madame Web has a very strong connection to Spider-Man, even greater than Venom or Morbius, so this film could set up some intriguing stories, especially now that another Peter Parker has entered the scene. What the future holds for Sony’s cinematic universe is anyone’s guess, but given the response from critics and audiences, it’s uncertain if it will be able to go on past Venom 3.
Madame Web is playing in theaters nationwide. Don’t see it.
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