There’s a sense of mystery around Madame Web, an upcoming Sony Spider-Man Universe spin-off that seems to be casting a web of intrigue over comic book fans.
Currently filming in Boston, New York, and Mexico, only a few tidbits of information about the film have reached fans. What is known is that Dakota Johnson will play the titular role, but the exact roles of all other cast members are still being thoroughly speculated upon.
Sydney Sweeney, Emma Roberts, and Zosia Mamet are all attached, and now a fan theory thinks they’ve worked out precisely what is going on in the film — and it’s very left-field. Hollywood is going mad over multiverses and different timelines, and it sounds like Madame Web may be no different, according to this fan theory.
Redditor /u/MarioMan1213245765 posits that the film will see three different Spider-Women (Jessica Drew, Julia Carpenter, and Mattie Franklin) sent back in time to protect an unborn Peter Parker, all while Madame Web’s granddaughter Charlotte Witter hunts the unborn child down through the multiverse.
Charlotte Witter in the comics is a former fashion designer who gets kidnapped by Doctor Octopus, given four spider limbs out of her back, and becomes evil because that’s just how things work in comic books. Her appearing in the film would be a surprise debut, considering the character has been used very sparingly in comic books.
Whereas Jessica Drew is one of Marvel’s most well-known female superheroes and is traditionally a close friend of Carol Danvers, aka Captain Marvel. Considering, again, the secrecy around the project, it seems that any of Roberts, Sweeney, and Mamet could play any of the roles.
Sweeney is blonde however, like Witter, so perhaps it’ll be a villainous role for her in the universe and not a heroic one.
Sweeney is perhaps the biggest drawcard of the lot thanks to recent success with Euphoria, so being cast as the best-known Spider-Woman would be a definite fit. One thing’s for certain, they’ll be hoping they’re not making another Morbius.
Madame Web is due in cinemas Oct. 2023.