The Spider-Verse is expanding after the success of the Venom movies, as Sony prepares to bring Madame Web to the big screen starring Dakota Johnson. Last month, the Fifty Shades of Grey star was cast in the titular role and this week Euphoria’s Sydney Sweeney joined her in an undisclosed role. As we wait for more details about the upcoming movie, fans are taking the casting in their own hands.
Given how little we know about Madame Web (though there's plenty to learn about the starring characters from the comics), it's open season on who Sydney Sweeney could play in the Marvel film. Here’s the most popular guesses running rampant online, via Twitter:
Sydney Sweeney bout to be Black Cat or Spider Gwen pic.twitter.com/f2m0XWDM5EMarch 16, 2022
Sydney Sweeney is best known for playing high-schooler Cassie Howard on Euphoria, so it’s no surprise that fans are imagining the actress to play another famous teen character in Gwen Stacy. Gwen is memorably the first girlfriend of Peter Parker/Spider-Man, who meets a tragic death at the hands of Green Goblin in the comics. There’s also another iteration of the character known as Spider-Gwen from another universe, where Gwen is the one who gets bitten by the spider instead. The character was voiced by Hailee Steinfeld in 2018’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
Given Sweeney’s blonde locks, it makes sense that Gwen Stacy might be the first natural casting thought for fans to go, but some people also believe the actress could be playing Felicia Hardy, a.k.a. Black Cat. Felicia is a cat burglar who forms a complex relationship with Spider-Man in the comic books, walking the line between lover and enemy. Twitter user @heyitsjennalynn would be especially excited to see Sweeney as Black Cat. In her words:
I don't want to get my hopes up, but if she's playing Black Cat, I'm going to astral plane out of my body.
At this point in the development of Madame Web, we really don’t know what kind of project it will be and if Gwen Stacy or Black Cat would even fit in the Spider-Verse film. Madame Webb is classically a paralyzed, blind, telepathic, clairvoyant and precognitive mutant who works as a professional medium, and is depicted as an old woman. But Dakota Johnson is playing her, so perhaps it'll be a Madame Webb origin story.
It’s also possible that Sydney Sweeney won’t play a character we know from the comics too, like Cassandra Webb’s best friend or sister. Or perhaps this is the right theory:
I’ve seen some speculation that Sydney Sweeney could potentially play Black Cat in the Madame Web movie. I could see it. She definitely has that sultry quality necessary to pull it off. That being said, I think she’ll play Julia Carpenter/Spider-Woman instead. Makes more sense. pic.twitter.com/cgP6Tcj1HHMarch 17, 2022
Given the incredible and iconic performance Sydney Sweeney gave in the most recent and shocking season of Euphoria and since she’s the second person cast, it does feel like whatever the role is will be a major one. Welcome to Sony's Spider-Man Universe, Sydney Sweeney!
Aside from Madame Web, other films in the Spider-Verse lineup include the Jared Leto-led Morbius coming on April 1. Also, Aaron Taylor-Johnson is starring in Kraven the Hunter alongside Ariana DeBose and Russell Crowe. While we wait for more updates on Sony's Spider-Verse lineup, keep up with upcoming 2022 movies here on CinemaBlend.
