Earlier this week, we learned that Sony had decided to cut any references to Madame Web's original 1990s setting upon realising those created a conflict with plans to tie the story into one of the live-action Spider-Men.
That didn't make a whole lot of sense when the first set photos pointed to the story playing out in the early 2000s, but no matter how you try and do the math, neither the 90s nor 2000s perfectly sync up with any of the live-action Variants of Peter Parker and when they first donned Spider-Man's suit (remember, this movie is expected to feature a pregnant Mary Parker).
Today, Entertainment Weekly has confirmed Madame Web is indeed set in 2003 and explains that the plot will revolve around "Cassie" (Cassandra Webb) as she fends off the villainous Ezekiel Sims. He wants to kill Julia, Mattie, and Anya, better known as Spider-Woman, Spider-Girl, and Araña, and while the site doesn't elaborate on why, the trailer suggests it's because they kill him in the future.
Director S.J. Clarkson, who helmed episodes of Jessica Jones and The Defenders, detailed her approach to Madame Web and what drew her to the project.
"I loved the psychological, cerebral nature. Not to sound too wanky about it, but it’s about what’s going on in [Cassie’s] head and her grappling with that. Is she going insane? Is this real? She’s battling with that within herself and trying to understand it."
Despite those rumours about ties to Spider-Man and the fact we'd been led to believe the movie takes place in the same world as Venom, Morbius, and Kraven the Hunter, Clarkson was quick to say, "She’s definitely in a standalone world."
"I was able to just have free rein and let the movie be what it needed to be, as opposed to trying to force it into something else," the filmmaker adds. "That was a gift, in a way, to be able to take something and bring a fresh and I hope original take to it."
Only time will tell how "standalone" Madame Web is, particularly given its apparent ties to the Multiverse. You can check out a new TV spot below.
Meanwhile, in another universe...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.
SJ Clarkson directs from a screenplay she wrote with Claire Parker. Morbius scribes Matt Sazama & Burk Sharpless are also expected to be credited for their work on the script, though it's currently unclear which draft they wrote. The movie's confirmed cast members include Dakota Johnson, Sydney Sweeney, Celeste O’Connor, Isabela Merced, Tahar Rahim, Mike Epps, Emma Roberts, and Adam Scott.
Madame Web arrives in theaters worldwide on February 14.