Minor spoilers ahead for Madame Web.
The superhero genre continues to be a powerful force in the entertainment industry, with various studios forming their own shared universe. That includes Sony's franchise, which was named the Spider-Man Universe of Characters. The latest of these releases is Madame Web (see our review here), which has been getting eviscerated by critics. The cast of Madame Web includes Euphoria standout Sydney Sweeney, who I think should be given another chance as Spider-Woman.
Sydney Sweeney plays Julia Cornwall/ Spider-Woman in Sony's new superhero flick, with Madame Web's trailer revealing a glimpse at her all suited up. If the movie fails to perform at the box office, I could easily see the burgeoning franchise dry up. But even if that happens, it would be a mistake for the studio to lose Sweeney as Spider-Woman.
So why exactly should she get another chance in the role? To start, Sydney Sweeney is one of the hottest celebrities out there now, with a ton of fans who are willing to see whatever she's involved in. She looks outstanding in the Spider-Woman costume, with Sweeney saying it was the "coolest thing ever" suiting up for the first time. So why not give her more time as the web slinging heroine?
On top of being a bankable movie star at this point, I think the Handmaid's Tale alum also has skills that make her perfect for action-heavy superhero roles like Spider-Woman. Sweeney trains in MMA fighting as a hobby, which would no doubt make action as Spider-Woman thrilling. Unfortunately, she didn't really get to show this off during the runtime of Madame Web. She's only suited up briefly in a flash forward, and spends most of the film running away from the masked killer along with the rest of the cast. Given how much ass she's prepared to kick, this feels like a giant missed opportunity.
Sony's Spider-Verse movies have had a pretty mixed bag of projects, especially since they're been noticeably missing any actual Spider-Men. While the Venom films make money, Jared Leto's Morbius was a critical and box office failure... twice. Only time will tell how Sweeney's new movie performs financially, but critics absolutely trashed Madame Web.
Given just how popular Sydney Sweeney is, it's only a matter of time before she ends up committed to an ongoing franchise role. Since she's already gotten her feet wet with Spider-Woman, I think she deserves another chance to play the role outside of Madame Web.
Madame Web is in theaters now, just in time for Valentine's Day and its accompanying weekend. While we wait for news about Sydney Sweeney's future as Spider-Woman, be sure to check out the 2024 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
