Sony Pictures' Madame Web movie is gaining steam and cameras should begin rolling within a matter of months. Dakota Johnson was recently cast as the title character, while news broke yesterday that Euphoria star Sydney Sweeney has now joined the project in a mystery role.
Speculation has been running rampant over the past 24 hours about who the talented actress could be playing in Sony's Spider-Man Universe, especially as this sounds like a significant part.
With that in mind, we've combed through the comic books to find five heroes and villains who we think Sweeney would be a perfect fit for. Beyond that, though, these are characters we're confident could bring a lot to the table in a movie that many fans currently have their doubts about.
To take a look through our suggestions, all you guys need to do is click on the "Next" button below!
5. Mattie Franklin
During a mysterious ceremony known as the "Gathering of Five," Madame Webb gained immortality, while young Mattie Franklin - who had taken her father's place - received superpowers.
The whole thing was arranged by Norman Osborn and while it backfired on him (his "gift" was insanity), it was good news for Mattie. Initially posing as Spider-Man, she'd later receive Jessica Drew's blessing to become the new Spider-Woman. Not much was done with the character beyond that until she died, giving Sony Pictures the perfect opportunity to do something new here.
If Johnson's Madame Web receives her powers in this ceremony (perhaps at the cost of her sight), then Mattie's Spider-Woman is someone the clairvoyant could take under her wing and use as a proxy. With that, the universe Venom and Morbius call home would have its first spider-themed hero, and the 24-year-old Sweeney would no doubt be a great pick to play this plucky young hero.
4. Lady Octopus
If Spider-Man: No Way Home proved anything, it's that Alfred Molina's Doctor Octopus isn't someone Sony or Marvel Studios is looking to replace anytime soon. His Spider-Man 2 performance was iconic in fairness, and while Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse put a female spin on the villain, Lady Octopus taking aim at Cassandra Webb could make for one heck of a movie.
Madame Web could (and should) drop the idea that Carolyn Trainer was Doc Ock's protege and love interest, instead using her as an original villain that reminds fans of the wonders of the Multiverse.
This feels like the sort of role Sweeney could really sink her teeth into, and seeing as Johnson is only 32-years-old (rather than the elderly woman we know from the comic books), then a younger foe like this - who might have a history with Cassandra Webb - isn't a stretch. Assuming Madame Web's powers are based in magic, a scientific foe could provide a fun juxtaposition.
3. "Spider-Woman"
Chances are most of you won't be familiar with this iteration of Spider-Woman, but Charlotte Witter would actually make for the perfect villain in Madame Web. She's the title character's granddaughter and grew up with severe mental issues; unfortunately, Cassandra's attempts to help by using her psychic powers only caused resentment, and eventually set the stage for an epic battle.
Sinister experiments on Charlotte by Doctor Octopus led to her becoming a villainous Spider-Woman, and she wasted no time in targeting Madame Web. Ultimately, she was stopped and the de-aged Cassandra (courtesy of the aforementioned "Gathering of Five" ceremony) claimed to be the villain's sister when she was institutionalised. We're sure you see how that could work on screen.
If the image above proves anything, it's that Sweeney certainly has the right look for Spider-Woman and the actress playing Madame Web's sister does make sense. Perhaps they both grew up being experimented on, only to head down two vastly different paths as adults?
2. Black Cat
Talking of characters Sweeney would be the perfect fit for, look no further than Felicia Hardy. It's hard to say what role the cat burglar could play in Madame Web, but if Sony is looking to expand this universe, then introducing Black Cat here would be a good way to set the stage for a solo outing.
Euphoria has driven home the fact that the actress has the right level of swagger and sex appeal to play this character, and Felicia's big screen debut is long overdue at this stage.
Assuming Cassandra Webb is as physically limited as her comic book counterpart, then the psychic turning to someone like Felicia has all the makings of a fun story. Black Cat, who may already be a successful thief in this Universe, might have the skills to pull off a heist that would help the mysterious Madame Web gain an artefact that could, for example, open the door to the Spider-Verse.
1. The Queen
Adriana Soria dubbed herself "The Queen" and gained powers during World War II (as part of the same program that created Captain America) that, unfortunately, drove her insane.
Years later, she appeared in New York City and took control of the "insect" gene within Spider-Man to make him her servant. An unexpected side-effect of that saw the web-slinger transformed into a Man-Spider, and after being defeated, she later returned and tried to turn everyone into spiders.
A loose adaptation of the "Spider-Island" storyline here has a lot of potential, and pitting Madame Web against such an insanely powerful foe would set the stage for some big future stories (and could even explain how this world's spider-themed heroes gain their powers). Once again, Sweeney definitely looks the part, and a role as big as this would give her the chance to prove herself in a big way.