Madame Web: Release Date, Cast, And More

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Sony's Spider-Man Universe sure is a thing that exists, isn't it? 

All joking aside, Sony's superhero universe has seen mixed success so far. The studio's first "Venom" movie was a huge box office hit, but only really works thanks to Tom Hardy's go-for-broke, lobster tank-diving turns as Eddie Brock and his symbiotic other half. 2021's "Venom: Let There Be Carnage" then saw Hardy play a larger role behind the camera, and the result was an improved sequel where everyone involved seemed to be more on the same page about what they were going for.

Then came "Morbius," a would-be vital building block in the SSU that took a beating from critics and misfired at the box office, only to get knocked down again after Sony mistook the movie's ironic "Morbin'" memes for genuine affection and re-released it in theaters (where it played to mostly-empty auditoriums). Far from being discouraged, however, the studio has since scheduled two more SSU films for 2023 in the forms of "Kraven the Hunter" and "Madame Web."

We here at /Film have already filled you on Kraven's long-awaited screen debut, which has Aaron Taylor-Johnson starring as the titular Spidey adversary. As for "Madame Web?" Let's break it down.

After a bit of reshuffling, "Madame Web" is currently scheduled to open in theaters on October 6, 2023. It was previously due to arrive to three months earlier on July 7, which would've placed it right between "Indiana Jones 5" and "Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One" on the release calendar. Given the relative obscurity of the movie's title character, Sony probably made a wise decision in shifting the SSU adventure away from the summer season and into the relatively less competitive early fall.

For the time being, "Madame Web" is set to open directly against "True Love," an original sci-fi film by "Godzilla" (2014) and "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" director Gareth Edwards. The month of October also served "Venom" and "Venom: Let There Be Carnage" well in years past, so it's not too hard to see the logic behind this delay. As for whether that will be enough to give "Madame Web" the boost it needs to succeed, well, feel free to place your bets!

The Madame Web character debuted in 1980's "The Amazing Spider-Man" #210, with writer Denny O'Neil and artist John Romita Jr. being credited as her co-creators. Also known as Cassandra Webb, she is typically portrayed in Marvel's comic books as an elderly woman with a neuromuscular disease known as myasthenia gravis, making it extremely hard for her to move and breathe. She's able to stay alive thanks to an elaborate support system that resembles a spider web in design (hence her nickname), and she has telepathic and clairvoyant abilities which allow her to aid Spider-Man on his adventures.

If you're confused as to why Anastasia Steele herself, Dakota Johnson, is playing the namesake in a "Madame Web" movie, there could be an explanation that goes beyond plain ol' ageism and ableism. In 2010's "Amazing Spider-Man" #637, a dying Cassandra transfers her super-powers to a younger woman named Julia Carpenter, who assumes the Madame Web mantle going forward. It's quite possible (maybe even likely?) aspects of this story will be adapted for the SSU.

Among the names joining Dakota Johnson in the "Madame Web" movie cast are "Euphoria" alum Sydney Sweeney, along with Celeste O'Connor, Tahar Rahim, Isabela Merced, Emma Roberts, Adam Scott, and Mike Epps. "Dracula Untold" and "Morbius" co-writers Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless are providing the script for the film, with "Jessica Jones" and "Anatomy of a Scandal" veteran S. J. Clarkson directing and "The Gray Man" producer Palak Patel serving as a development executive.

Along with its cast and premise, Clarkson is one of the more intriguing pieces to the puzzle that is "Madame Web." The director has had a run of bad luck lately, having helmed the never-aired pilot for the abandoned "Game of Thrones" prequel series, "Bloodmoon," and been attached to direct a since-canceled early iteration of "Star Trek 4." Will third time be the charm for Clarkson, so far as her attempts to prove her big-budget bonafides go? Best of luck to her, of course.