Summary
Madam Webhas finally arrived, and with it comes Sony’s biggest attempt yet at starting a cinematic universe based on theirSpider-ManIP. The film makes a lot of big choices in favor of building out this universe and creating an exciting heroine in the process, but in doing so it also deviates heavily from most of theMadame Webstorylines that have come before it. The rarely-seen comic book character has never even had her own book or series, so staying completely true while also telling a blockbuster narrative would have been nearly impossible.
It’s worth pointing out that the film ends with Madame Web being much more closely aligned with her comic book version, due to some unfortunate events that befall her. Considering that the film is a 2000s period piece, it’s possible that by the time Spider-Man is fully realized, the characters of the film’s universe will be more similar to their counterparts in the comic series. That said, there have never been comics exploring Madame Web’s past in this much detail, so all of these choices, even if they result in some level of comic accuracy, are original and different from what has come so far.
10Ezekiel Sims' Look
The Character Trades A Business Suit For A Spidey Suit
In the movie,Simsis a younger man wearing a skin-tight black superhero (supervillain?) suit that is clearly designed to make viewersthink of Spider-Man’s suit. The eyes, in particular, are a direct recreation of the hero’s look, only spun to look more sinister.
While the comic book version of the character has worn spider-suits on some rare occasions, he is far more often seen as an old man with white hair and a beard, sporting a classic black and white business suit, with no shoes. The character does pay homage to this outfit in the film for a scene.
9Ezekiel Sims' Origin Story
The Movie Opts For A More Traditional Spider Bite
In the film, Sims gains super strength and the ability to crawl on walls after a strange Amazonian spider bites him. Sound familiar? Even thoughthe comic book version of the characterdoes have powers clearly reminiscent of Spider-Man’s, the way he gains them is far more extreme.
In the comics, Sims travels to the Amazon and seeks out a “spider totem” which he believes to be supernatural. He then participates in a ritual that involves being tied to a massive spider altar, cut open, and then left to be preyed upon by a giant spider. He still gets bit, but it’s pulpier than the method chosen in the film.
8There’s No Jessica Drew
The Film Opts To Fully Skip This Spider-Woman
In the comics,Jessica Drewis the first Spider-Woman, before Julia Carpenter eventually takes the mantle. TheMadame Webfilm makes no mention of Drew at all, but does feature three other characters who have gone by Spider-Woman that all come after her in the comics.
It’s a choice that must be calculated in some way, as Drew is one of themost recognizableSpider-Mancharactersand more notable than arguably all the Spider-Women who do appear, but even if there is a plan, leaving her out instantly changes the ages and chronology of the women from what is canon in the comics.
7Madame Web’s Age
An Elderly Character Is Portrayed In Her 30s
In the comics,Madame Web is a woman in her 70s.Her age plays a vital role inmany of the comic storiesshe appears in because it combines with her severe illness to make her almost entirely immobile. It also means she’s lived a full life before ever meeting Spider-Man. It is stated that her husband has passed away at some point.
Making her younger makes sense for a film that wants to cast a marketable star and hopefully have sequels, but it does make the period setting a little stranger. Even assuming the film is set 18-20 years before Spider-Man is swinging through the streets, Web will still only be in her late 40s or early 50s when she meets the hero.
6Spider-Man’s Origins
This Peter Parker Won’t Be Bitten By A Radioactive Spider
In the comics,Peter Parkeris bitten by a radioactive spider at a science exhibit. Many later comics adjust this event to happen at some sort of lab, sometimes even Oscorp, with there having been a handful of different radioactive spider origins over the years.
Madame Webchanges it once again. There is a tribe in the Amazon called the “Spider Tribe” who keep spiders endowed with weird abilities such as magical healing. This tribe wears spider-themed clothing and seem to worship the spiders to some degree, with their gear and aesthetic greatly resembling what will eventually be Spider-Man’s suit design. It seems likely that one of the spiders from this tribe will be the one to bite Peter in this universe.
5Madame Web Isn’t Blind
This Rendition Of The Character Can See… For Now
Similar to the most famous blind Marvel character, Daredevil,Madame Web is typically a character who is technically blind, but uses her supernatural abilities to see even more than the average person.
While any potential sequels could easily cover Dakota Johnson’s eyes with cloth or a mask, for at least the bulk of this first film, blindness isn’t a factor, and her psychic ability is specifically used for seeing through time and not for managing day-to-day movement.
4All Three Spider-Women Have A New Origin
None Of The Three Heroes Will Match Their Comic Counterparts.
Madame Webspends the majority of the film trying to protect three young women who are being targeted by a wall-crawling supervillain. The three heroes are made up of Julia Carpenter, Anya Sofi Corazon, and Mattie Franklin, all of whom eventuallytake up the mantle of Spider-Womanin the comics.
All three of these characters have their own unique backstories, and while a lot of their origins could still remain intact if they get more screen time in later movies, just having them all be together and exposed to the world of Spider-heroes and villains at the same time beforethey have received their own powersfundamentally changes their arcs as individual heroes in their own right.
3Madame Web Isn’t Confined To Her Lair
The Character Is Taken Off Life Support In A Good Way
In the comics, the first time we meet Madame Web she is sitting on a massive chair-like device inside a huge web of cables and technology. The whole thing creates the aesthetic of a spider resting in the middle of its web. Spider-Man quickly learns that this device is actually a life support system, keeping Web alive as she has a severe illness.
Many of theMadame Webcomic storiesinvolve villains pulling her out of her web, immediately putting Spider-Man on the clock as every second brings her closer to death. All of this is abandoned in the film, so that the character can move around and lead the story.
2The Origins Of Madame Web’s Power
Madame Web’s Clairvoyance Is Now Also Tied To Spiders
It seems that the newest Sony film wants nothing more than to take everySpider-Mancharacter it can and link them to the new Peruvian spiders it introduces. It is a bite from one of these spiders that causes Madame Web to gain psychic abilities.
In the comics, Web is born clairvoyant, as well as born with the awful disease that will eventually lead to her blindness and paralysis. A key part of her comic character is that her husband helped build the web-like life support system, but this new spider-bite origin seems to remove both him and her innate abilities, instead opting to make her as similar to Spider-Man as possible.
1Madame Web’s Connections To Peter Parker
This Re-Imagining Closely Links The Two Characters' Pasts
In the comics, Peter hears about Madame Web from a friend who has visited her, the same way someone would visit any paid psychic, and the two slowly form a bond over time. It’s worth mentioning that when Spider-Man meets Web, she knows his secret identity. That’s due to her powers though, and not due to any previous association.
However, the film, likely in an effort to build a shared universe for future Sony superhero projects, links Madame Web to the Parkers early on. Her paramedic partner and friend is none other than Uncle Ben, who mentions his fiancé May. Then, Web goes to a baby shower for Mary Parker, Peter’s mother, showing that our hero is about to be born in this universe.
