“Madame Web” (2024), available on Netflix, adds a supernatural twist to Sony’s Spider-Man Universe (SSU), which is becoming increasingly vast. The movie is directed by S.J. Clarkson (“Jessica Jones”), starring Dakota Johnson as the title character, and well-supported by Sydney Sweeney, Emma Roberts, and Mike Epps. “Madame Web” examines premonitionism as it tells the story of a lady who has some super powers she never asked for that bring her face-to-face with an unknown menace in the multiverse.
Plot Summary
Madame Webb’s mom had found a special spider in the Peruvian Amazon that is believed to have powerful venom. After getting shot by Ezekiel Sims, who stole the spider from her, she is saved by some Peruvian spider people who take him to a cave for a special bath, hoping that her life can be saved through the venom of the spider. Shockingly, she dies, but her child lives on.
Fast forward to 2003, and Cassandra Webb works as an EMT in NYC. She’s lonely and spends most of her time talking to her cat. Her best friend and ambulance partner is Ben Parker. Once, when Cassie died briefly during a rescue operation, she saw visions of the future. She met three teenage girls, Julia, Anya, and Mattie, whom she saved from Ezekiel as he tried to kill them since these girls would become Spider-Women.
From his visions, Ezekiel believes that these three women will defeat him as Spider-Women; hence, he looks for them with the intention of killing them first. Cassie uses her ability, together with her knowledge about the future, to help them avoid being captured by him. Their destinies are intertwined in some way so that it all ends in a peculiar final scene at the fireworks factory with a “Pepsi-Cola” sign overlooking everything.
What Happened To Cassie’s Mother In “Madame Web”?
The film opens with a 1973 flashback where Cassie’s mom, Constance, together with her colleague Ezekiel, are exploring the Peruvian Amazon. They are looking for a sacred spider, which is believed to have healing abilities meant to save Constance’s unborn child from a dangerous ailment. But then Cassie gets betrayed by Ezekiel, who steals the spider and shoots her. As she lay dying, members of an indigenous tribe blessed with powers used one of the mystical arachnids on her in an attempt to cure her. During this bite, however, Cassie acquires hidden abilities that only become evident when she has near-death experience many years later.
The beginning of the movie links Cassie back to where it all started; it tells us how her mother went to Amazon in search of some remedy against the illness that had been waiting for Cassie since birth until now. The death of Constance at the hands of Ezekiel’s bullet and subsequent spider bite not only saved Cassie but also endowed psychic skills on her.
How Does Cassie Realize Her Powers?
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Fast forward thirty years, and Cassie now works as a paramedic in New York City, partnering with Ben Parker as well as O’Neil.
Cassie receives a gift of being psychic after she dives into the river and saves a man from drowning in his car that falls over on one of New York City’s bridges. With Ben’s support, she helps to free the man but then her weight causes the car to fall into the water so she loses consciousness. In water, she has a weird out-of-body experience where she sees herself in various bodies. There’s visuals of spider webs and visions under water as she is underwater.
Asleep, Ben is dripping wet waking her up with her first question being: did I die? He says it was only for several minutes and welcomed her back to life. Following that incident, at times she begins to have a series of random visions which are quite bewildering such as during Mary’s baby shower, making popcorn inside her flat and at work place. She starts experiencing visions at first, dismissing them as déjà vu. However, when she fails to rescue O’Neil from death, she realises that somehow she can see into the future.
Why Is Ezekiel Hunting Julia, Anya, And Mattie?
Ezekiel has a dream early on where he gets killed by three Spider-Women, played by Sydney Sweeney, Isabela Merced, and Celeste O’Connor, respectively. He does not want to die like this and endeavors to annihilate these teenagers.
Ezekiel discovers the girls’ identities as Julia Cornwall, Anya Corazon, and Mattie Franklin using his limited capacity for extra-sensory perception and extra ordinary strength. His prophetic visions convince him that he will be slain by them. Meanwhile, Cassie, struggling with her newly acquired powers of foresight, sees Ezekiel’s plan to kill the future spider-women and tries to save them.
Cassie eventually finds out that the spider stolen by Ezekiel cursed him with spiderman-like powers while also plaguing him with nightmares about his death at the hands of three Spider-Women. In order to avoid his destiny, though, Ezekiel must become their murderer first.
How Does Cassie Save The Three Girls?
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Cassie also looks for the same girls and stops Ezekiel from attacking them at Grand Central Terminal. She hijacks a cab and takes Julia, Anya, and Mattie away from the city to hide in the nearby woods. After coming back to her flat, Cassie finds Constance’s notes that expose the true character of Ezekiel as well as his powers. Although Cassie had told them otherwise, they go to a diner where Ezekiel locates them. To stun him momentarily, she smashes her car into him, then goes with the girls to Ben’s house in Queens, where they can stay safe.
Is Madame Web Set In The Same Universe As Spider-Man?
Yes, “Madame Web” sets the stage for Peter Parker’s Spider-Man. Earlier in the film, Adam Scott is revealed to be Ben Parker, and Emma Roberts portrays a pregnant Mary Parker. During Mary’s baby shower, Cassie plays a game predicting what the name of the baby will be. We are not told what the little boy’s name is at this point, but it is alluded to in the movie when Cassie convalesce.
Although Peter Parker is not explicitly stated, we know that he must be there because he is Mary and Richard Parker’s only child. On the other hand, “Madame Web” takes place in 2003, so it does not correspond with any events from Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, or Tom Holland’s Spider-Man series. In 2003, Peter had already turned into Spider-Man for Maguire, and Garfield’s Peter would be around six years old or even younger, while Holland’s Peter would be two years old. So there are some inconsistencies in relation to the existing Spider-Man films.
“Madame Web” Ending Explained: How Does Cassie Defeat Ezekiel?
In New York City, Ben’s sister Mary gets into labor. Ben rushes Mary and the three girls in the car and sets off to the hospital. While on the road, Ezekiel’s tech expert, Zosia Mamet, sees Mattie on a surveillance camera and sends Ezekiel after them. As soon as Cassie arrives at Ben’s house and notices water on the floor and the driveway is empty, she speeds off without wasting any time. Ezekiel catches up with Ben in his vehicle before Cassie has a vision that helps her save her friends just in time.
She crashes an ambulance she stole into Ezekiel’s vehicle. Cassie tells Ben to get Mary to safety and bundles the girls into the ambulance, leading to a high-speed chase through Manhattan. Inspired by a vision, they rig the place with explosives, injuring Ezekiel. They end up on the building’s roof, where Cassie tricks Ezekiel into standing under a sign that’s about to fall. Julia, Mattie, and Anya each try to fight Ezekiel but end up in precarious positions.
Cassie remembers how to be in two places at once. Every time she hears Ezekiel’s taunt, she rescues the girls with her mind and focuses on Ezekiel. The sign collapses on him while Cassie falls into the river and is hit by shrapnel that blinds her.
Julia dives into the water, pulling out a motionless Cassie. They perform CPR until Cassie opens her eyes, only to reveal that they are now white. “Madame Web” closes with Julia, Mattie, and Anya living with Cassie, who sits in a high-tech wheelchair and is fully able to control her powers. She even says “Bless you” before Anya sneezes. In comics, Cassandra is depicted as an elderly lady kept alive through life support due to a neurological disorder she suffers from. The movie hints at this in flashbacks about Cassie’s mother, who was healed by a spider bite during childbirth.
