There's a lot of intrigue surrounding Sony Pictures' Madame Web, and while we're keeping our expectations low (it was written by the duo responsible for Morbius), it may well be a game-changer for this specific Marvel Universe.
Rumour has it the story will revolve around a pregnant Mary Parker who is being protected from the villainous Ezekiel Sims by a group of female spider heroes. It's an intriguing premise if correct, and one that could open up the live-action Spider-Verse in new and, hopefully, exciting ways.
During a recent interview on the Shut Up Evan podcast, Emma Roberts - who has been spotted on set wearing a pregnant belly - revealed, "What I can tell you is I'm not a superhero. Some people may think she's a superhero but not...like I don't have supernatural powers. So I can tell you that."
So, that all but confirms she's Mary, and the actress would go on to say, "It's really different from any of the other Marvel movies, it's super grounded. I love that it has so many great actresses, it's really female-driven, and I just think it's not going to be what people expect."
There's been a huge amount of excitement to see Roberts join a superhero project, but her role will clearly be a minor one. "I'm excited to see it, because I only worked like a week on it, so there's so much that I haven't seen. I did get to see the storyboards and read the script, and it's fantastic."
Last summer, the American Horror Story star confirmed she would return for reshoots, so she may still have some work to do on the movie. Madame Web features a cast that's led by Dakota Johnson as the title character, while we've also been led to believe that Adam Scott is playing Ben Parker, Peter Parker's uncle.
The rest of the cast includes Sydney Sweeney, Celeste O'Connor, Isabela Merced, Tahar Rahim, Mike Epps, and Zosia Mamet.
Madame Web is set to swing into theaters on February 16, 2024.