Sony Pictures has made a lot of peculiar choices with its "Marvel Universe," with Morbius' baffling post-credits scene chief among them.
Spider-Man remains in the MCU for now, leaving this reality without a web-slinger of its own. This has led to Sony shifting focus to his villains, tough that does look set to change with 2023's Madame Web. There's been heaps of speculation about the film featuring various female superheroes, and a new report appears to reveal all of them.
We've rounded each of them up for you below, and yes, the name "Parker" does indeed come up.
It's unclear how much about these characters Sony intends to reveal prior to Madame Web's arrival in theaters, so be warned that potential SPOILERS do follow!
Dakota Johnson Is...Cassandra Webb
Despite what we've seen in set photos, Dakota Johnson is said to be playing the Cassandra Webb version of Madame Web.
There had been speculation she might be playing Julia Carpenter, but those images of Johnson in a red jacket are either a misdirect or we're getting an amalgamation of the two characters. Julia will be in the film, though we'll get to her shortly.
In the comics, Madame Web is blind and linked up to a life support system that resembles a web, and her psychic abilities give her access to the Web of Life and Destiny. Why is that important? Bear with us.
Sydney Sweeney Is...Julia Carpenter
There's been a lot of speculation about Sydney Sweeney's role in Madame Web, but she is, in fact, playing Julia Carpenter. The second Madame Web after Cassandra is killed by Kraven the Hunter and his family, Julia once held the mantle of Spider-Woman and was a great superhero in her own right.
There's no indication that she will suit up in this film, but here's hoping.
With the film's apparent early 2000s setting we're at a loss when it comes to how Julia will factor into future films unless an older actor replaces her down the line as the next Madame Web.
Celeste O’Connor Is...Mattie Franklin
Mattie Franklin is another of those 90s characters who have fallen by the wayside since first being introduced, but she has close ties to many of the characters listed here. She even filled in as Spider-Man for a time, though the source of her powers is incredibly interesting.
Obtaining her abilities during a mystic ceremony known as the Gathering of Five, it was later revealed that Mattie's powers had essentially been "stolen" from previous Spider-Women.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife star Celeste O'Connor is a great choice to play this character, and it's exciting to see a diverse actor given the chance to play one of these heroes. O'Connor won't be alone in that respect, however.
Isabela Merced Is...Anya Corazon
Isabela Merced made a name for herself in Dora and the Lost City of Gold, but Madame Web looks set to be her biggest role to date.
Anya Corazon is also known as Araña or Spider-Girl, and her powers are also rooted in the mythological side of Spider-Man's world. In recent years, she's been a huge part of many Multiversal adventures featuring spider-heroes, and there have already been rumblings about a spinoff film for the character.
Remember, we don't know if all of this film takes place in the past or just some of it, so if we do shift to the present day, it makes sense for Spider-Girl to be an important hero in this Spider-Verse moving forward.
Adam Scott Is...Ben Parker
Yes, you read that correctly. Severance star Adam Scott is playing Uncle Ben, though this story clearly takes place years before he's the old man gunned down by a burglar.
We know this iteration of the character is a paramedic and that he seemingly works with Cassandra Webb, and making him a supporting character in Madame Web...well, it's certainly an interesting decision on Sony's part. With an early 2000s setting (Venom and Morbius are set in the present day, remember), perhaps this is his origin story?
Not quite, because Ben will be joined by a far more important family member...
Emma Roberts Is...Mary Parker
We don't know whether Ben's brother, Richard Parker, or his future wife May Reilly will be part of Madame Web. However, his future sister-in-law, Mary, is going to show up. And she'll be pregnant with Peter Parker.
Presumably, the Web of Life and Destiny is going to come under attack, with someone or something looking to remove Spider-Man from this reality before he can become a superhero. It's possible he's sent to another world (the MCU) or that the film's mystery villain succeeds and that's why the likes of Venom and Morbius have no Spidey to contend with.
Set photos have confirmed that Mary is pregnant, so this is one heckuva twist. Will any of the Spider-Women suit up to help save the day? This is Sony, so we won't bank on it.
h/t The Cosmic Circus