What we have known about Madame Web has been relatively limited until now. Dakota Johnson's trippy first Madame Web trailer has just been released, providing us with our initial peek into the plot and the key characters of the upcoming superhero movie. One noteworthy character is the antagonist, Ezekiel "Zeke" Sims, a fusion of Spider-Man and Terminator vibes. If you're a comic book fan puzzled by the first look at Madame Web, you're not alone. The creator of the Sims character also caught a glimpse of the trailer, and, based on his reaction, he's less than thrilled.
J. Michael Straczynski, co-creator of Ezekiel Sims and closely associated with Madame Web's lore, turned to X (formerly Twitter) to share his immediate thoughts after watching the first trailer, where his creation takes the spotlight. Straczynski's tweet featured an image of a Spider-Man-like-costumed figure identified as Ezekiel, a wealthy businessman with powers akin to Spider-Man, as portrayed in the comics. Yet, rather than expressing excitement, Straczynski's tweet hinted at disappointment and confusion. In the post, the writer shared the following thoughts:
And well, this just happened. It's definitely the character I created for Spidey, but it feels like they may have merged it with Morlun a bit. (Don't ask for any details because this is the first I'm hearing of it, so my guess is as good as yours.)
In the comics, Ezekiel Sims, a wealthy businessman, gained Spider-Man-like powers in his youth through a ritual. Despite initially aspiring to be a hero, Ezekiel chose to build and expand a corporation, realizing the need for a base of operations. Unlike Peter Parker, Ezekiel's path to heroism is distinct as he doesn't undergo a loss similar to Uncle Ben. Instead, he pursues self-righteous motives, setting him on a different trajectory.
Morlun, another creation by Straczynski and John Romita Jr., emerges as a formidable threat to Spider-Man across various versions of the multiversal webhead. Originating from Earth-001, Morlun relentlessly pursues Spider-Totems through the multiverses. Notably, he temporarily ends the life of Earth-616 Spider-Man in the Spider-Man: The Other comic book run. Morlun also takes on the primary antagonist role in the Spider-Verse narrative, teaming up with the Inheritors to fulfill a prophecy by eradicating Spider-Men across the multiverse. This storyline may offer insights into Madame Web's cinematic direction, suggesting Ezekiel could traverse the multiverse, preventing Spider-People from realizing their superhero destinies.
The trailer debuts the stacked Madame Web cast list, led by Dakota Johnson as Cassandra/Madame Webb. Cassandra possesses the ability to foresee the future, where she and a group of young women encounter a masked killer resembling Spider-Man. The narrative unfolds as the team of women, including Sydney Sweeney's Julia Carpenter, aka Spider-Woman, faces an assault from an alternate-timeline Spider-Man in a black suit with red webbing. In a grim twist, they meet their demise, prompting Cassandra to manipulate time to rewrite their fate. This time-loop scenario, reminiscent of one of the best horror movies, Final Destination, becomes a recurring theme, promising an engaging and different approach to superhero storytelling.
While Straczynski may have reservations about director S.J. Clarkson and Sony's interpretation of his creations, the Madame Web trailer appears promising. Given the current uncertainty surrounding upcoming Marvel movies, I'm excited for a fresh take on the Spidey lore.
Madame Web is set to hit theaters on February 14th. While awaiting its release, explore the upcoming 2024 movie schedule to plan your next cinematic adventure.
