We have heard numerous reports about Sony Pictures' original plans for Madame Web, which - if rumors are to be believed - was going to be set in the same universe as The Amazing Spider-Man at one point before the decision was made to connect the movie to the SSU (Sony's Spider-Man Universe).
Though it's been said that Tom Holland's take on Peter Parker was going to appear (see Daniel Richtman's post below), Madame Web ultimately turned out to be more of a standalone story with only tenuous ties to the wider SSU. However, it seems the studio was determined to push a connection to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the early marketing stages.
Some photos of popcorn buckets and drink holders that were sent out to various theater chains before being recalled have been shared online, and the unused promo art takes the form of Daily Bugle news reports that mention the likes of Thanos, Tony Stark, Carol Danvers, Hulk, Doctor Strange, the God of Thunder, and more.
There's even an image of Drax (Dave Bautista) from Guardians of the Galaxy, who was working a side gig as a news anchor all these years.
Sony obviously doesn't have the rights to these characters, and while there might well be a loophole that allows the studio to mention them in this sort of promotional material, Marvel/Disney clearly didn't want to give anyone the impression that Madame Web was an MCU movie!
Madame Web went on to bomb at the box office and earn an abysmal 11% on Rotten Tomatoes, effectively putting the final nail in the SSU's coffin.
"Meanwhile, in another universe...' reads the official synopsis, "In a switch from the typical genre, Madame Web tells the standalone origin story of one of Marvel publishing's most enigmatic heroines." "The suspense-driven thriller stars Dakota Johnson as Cassandra Webb, a paramedic in Manhattan who may have clairvoyant abilities. Forced to confront revelations about her past, she forges a relationship with three young women destined for powerful futures...if they can all survive a deadly present."
Johnson stars as the clairvoyant Cassandra Webb, who uses her abilities to save a group of young woman, played by Sydney Sweeney, Isabela Merced, and Celeste O’Connor, from a villainous Spider-Man lookalike known as Ezekiel Simms.
The girls Webb is doing her best to keep safe, Julia Carpenter, Mattie Franklin and Anya Corazón, are all destined to become heroes with Spider-like powers of their own, and Simms is targetting them because of what they do to him in the future.
S.J. Clarkson, who also helmed Marvel’s Jessica Jones and The Defenders, directs from a script by Matt Sazama, Kerem Sazama and Burk Sharpless. Adam Merims executive produced.