Credit: Sony PicturesIt’s 100% confirmed: Madame Web (2024) is set in an entirely different universe to the rest of Sony’s Spider-Verse.
Starring Dakota Johnson as Cassandra “Cassie” Webb, Madame Web is set to follow its lead character as she confronts her past and encounters three women – each with equally powerful potential – being hunted by the same enemy.
Related: ‘Madame Web’ Star Reportedly Furious With New Movie, Drops Talent Agency in Protest
Considering the film’s noughties setting, there were murmurings that it would take place in the same universe as Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy starring Tobey Maguire. However, the film’s director, S.J. Clarkson, has now confirmed that Madame Web takes place in a “standalone world.”
“I was able to just have free rein and let the movie be what it needed to be, as opposed to trying to force it into something else,” Clarkson told Entertainment Weekly. “That was a gift, in a way, to be able to take something and bring a fresh and, I hope, original, take to it.”
Related: Moon Knight Makes Surprising Comeback in New Marvel Movie
That gives the film the distinction of being based in a universe very much focused on female heroes. Madame Web stars Sydney Sweeney and Celeste O’Connor as Julia Cornwall and Mattie Franklin (both alternate versions of Spider-Woman), and Isabela Merced as Anya Corazon, AKA Araña (Spider-Girl), as well as Emma Roberts in an undisclosed role. Roberts previously claimed that the film is “really female driven” and has the ability to revolutionize the male-dominated superhero sphere.
It’s thought that the film originally planned to tie into the timeline of Andrew Garfield’s The Amazing Spider-Man films. Hollywood insider Jeff Sneider revealed earlier this month that Garfield’s version of the character initially served as that universe’s Spider-Man and that while this didn’t necessarily involve Garfield reprising his role onscreen, it would be the case “maybe in sequels.”
The decision was reportedly later made to swap out Garfield’s Spider-Man for Tom Holland’s, essentially setting Madame Web within the world of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, filmmakers later scrubbed any Spider-Man references after realizing the timelines didn’t match up.
Related: “Absolutely Psychotic”, Marvel Star Shares “Blue Screen” Movie Concerns
Despite being set to hit theaters on February 14, 2024, hype isn’t exactly high for Madame Web. There are plenty of things going against Sony’s next installment of the Spider-Verse, but its lack of grounding in a universe fans already know probably isn’t helping to push what’s already a relatively little-known IP to a larger audience.
Madame Web is currently tracking for a three-day opening weekend of $25 million to to $35 million. For context, Morbius (2022) – the last entry in Sony’s Spider-Verse, and often regarded as one of the worst comic book movies of recent years – hit $39 million in its opening weekend.
Are you excited for Madame Web? Let us know in the comments!