Madame Web's Real Villain May Explain Dark Spider-Man's Big Plan - A Marvel Theory

Expanding on Sony's slate of Spider-Man-adjacent film offerings, the Dakota Johnson-led "Madame Web" is on its way to theaters. The movie's first trailer has arrived on the internet, and it paints a pretty basic picture of what the story is all about. Johnson's Cassandra Webb — a clairvoyant with ties to individuals with Spider-Man-like powers — is tasked with protecting three young women with such abilities from a mysterious individual named Ezekiel Sims (Tahar Rahim). However, it could be that he's not nearly as villainous as he seems and that another dark Marvel Comics antagonist is really the one pulling the strings.

One of Spider-Man's most formidable comic book foes is Morlun: a vampiric, timeline-hopping entity who hunts down and feeds on Spider-Totems, who are basically just those with spider powers. In the context of "Madame Web," Morlun's potential presence can fit into the narrative in two different ways. For one, Sony could've combined him with Sims, thus explaining the latter's apparent desire to track down Webb and her allies. Then again, maybe Sims is an enemy of Morlun in the film, just as he is in the comics, so he has taken it upon himself to get to the Spider-Totems first. Perhaps he plans to kill them and ultimately himself to foil Morlun's scheme completely.

If Morlun is present in "Madame Web" or Sims has taken on some of his villainous characteristics, that could mean another theory about the film's plot has taken on a fascinating new dimension.

Even though many on the Internet have taken to roasting the inaugural "Madame Web" trailer, there's no denying that there's a lot within it to be intrigued by. In addition to the live-action introduction of Ezekiel Sims and Madame Web herself, we also meet Julia Carpenter (Sydney Sweeney), Mattie Franklin (Celeste O'Connor), and Anya Corazon (Isabela Merced), who all acquire spider powers in the film. As if five Spider-People isn't enough, rumor has it that a sixth future one is hiding in plain sight, and he could be the main target of Sims, Morlun, or both.

Since the "Madame Web" trailer dropped, fans have been theorizing about Adam Scott's role in the film. He appears as a paramedic who works alongside Cassandra Webb, though not even his name is revealed. This has led many to speculate that Scott has signed on to play Peter Parker's Uncle Ben. Should this be the case, that implies Peter could be alive during the events of the movie. Seeing as Ben doesn't generally live to see Peter become Spider-Man in most continuities, he wouldn't be a full-on hero yet in this case. Thus, for one reason or another, the villain or villains could be after him, prompting Webb and her fellow heroes to become his protectors.

Hopefully, Marvel fans will learn more about Morlun and Peter Parker's potential "Madame Web" presence as the film creeps toward its February 14, 2024, premiere.