There wasn't much about Madame Web that worked, but the movie isn't completely irredeemable. For starters, the three Spider-Women are an undeniable highlight...even if we do only see them on screen for 90 seconds or so.
However, arguably the best part of this movie is Julia Cornwall/Spider-Woman actress Sydney Sweeney. After putting herself on the map with Euphoria, Sweeney's star is on the rise, particularly after the romcom Anyone But You became a surprise hit after it opened in theaters last year.
While we don't ever expect to see a Madame Web sequel, it would be a shame if this is it for Sweeney in the superhero realm. With that in mind, we've now come up with five more Marvel roles for her both in the MCU and, believe it or not, back in Sony's Spider-Verse.
We think you'll have something to say about these, so hit the "Next" button below to check out our suggestions...
5. Emma Frost
Looking at the MCU in its current form, there really aren't that many uncast roles to pick from for Sweeney. However, with the X-Men set to make their debut post-Avengers: Secret Wars, we can't think of a better character for her to play in that corner of Earth-616 than Emma Frost.
Some of you will say she's not a good fit for the role as Emma is English; well, think back to New X-Men and you'll remember that it was heavily implied she cosmetically changed her appearance and faked the accent in order to be accepted into the Hellfire Club as its striking White Queen.
The Cyclops/Jean Grey romance has been done to death, so throwing Emma in as an unexpected love rival to Marvel Girl would shake things up and add some intrigue given her villainous past. Simply put, Sweeney looks perfect for the part and we see this as a role she'd have fun with.
4. The Queen
We're heading back to the Spider-Verse, but this time, it's for a villain rather than a future hero. In the comics, Adriana Soria dubbed herself "The Queen" and gained powers during World War II (as part of the same program that created Captain America) which, 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.
There are lots of directions for Marvel Studios to take Spidey moving forward, but a "Spider-Island" adaptation would be an absolute blast and, if needs be, gives Sony a bunch of new spider-themed heroes they can then use in their own Marvel Universe.
3. Tigra
Tigra, also known as Greer Grant Nelson was originally introduced as The Cat and later became Tigra after undergoing a mystical transformation. As Tigra, Greer possesses superhuman strength, agility, and senses, along with retractable claws and enhanced reflexes.
The character has been a member of various superhero teams, including the Avengers and West Coast Avengers, and is one of only a few mainstays from those teams who have yet to make their presence felt in the MCU. Needless to say, we think that needs to change in the not-too-distant future.
Why this role for Sweeney? Well, as we said at the top of this post, there aren't too many options at this stage but Tigra is a C-Lister who could become an A-Lister thanks to the Madame Web lead's star power and on-screen presence. Not many could pull this hero off, but we think Sweeney stands a good chance.
2. "Spider-Woman"
Okay, so let's say for a moment that Sony does eventually decide to pick up where Madame Web left off (likely in another franchise) and makes good on the sequel options we're sure were built into the contracts of the movie's leads. That could give Sweeney the chance to play a whole new Spider-Woman.
Charlotte Witter is Madame Web's granddaughter and grew up with severe mental issues; unfortunately, Cassandra's attempts to help by using her psychic powers only caused resentment, and she'd eventually become the twisted "Spider-Woman" (in part thanks to Doctor Octopus' sinister experiments).
If we're getting a Sinister Six movie - whether we like it or not - then it might be fun to see one of Cassie's proteges turned to the dark side as this twisted supervillain. Or not. The point is, there are a lot of places this franchise could have taken its leads had it not fallen at the first hurdle!
1. Black Cat
We're sure many of you will agree that Sweeney would be a perfect choice for the MCU's Felicia Hardy. With Peter Parker forgotten, we're expecting the wall-crawler to have fully embraced his identity as Spider-Man, and how better to do that than with a woman only interested in the mask and not the man beneath it?
Euphoria and Anyone But You proved the actress has the right level of swagger and confidence to do Black Cat justice, and Felicia's big screen debut is long overdue at this stage...we just hope when it happens, it's under Marvel Studios' watch rather than Sony's!
Regardless, she looks the part, has the necessary attributes as a performer, and is roughly the same age as Tom Holland. These two would look amazing on screen together and Black Cat is definitely a character who could redeem Sweeney in the superhero space after Madame Web.