All the films you need to watch before Madame Web

Sony released the trailer for the Dakota Johnson starrer Madame Web on November 15, 2023. The appearance of multiple Spider-characters in the trailer has surprised Marvel fans. Sony Pictures started their Sony Spider-Man universe with the release of Venom in 2018. Since then, there has been a mixed bag of features related to Spider-Man characters.

Most interestingly, the universe lacks the Web-Slinger in itself; all this is because of the studio deal, which is a discussion topic. Besides that, Madame Web is the upcoming installment, released on February 14, 2024, in the Sony Spider-Man Universe.

Madame Web will feature references to events and characters that appeared in previous films since it is part of the cinematic universe. Though the film will be a standalone, one can watch it directly. Given the references and the proper understanding of Madame Web, these films will help viewers understand the Sony universe properly.

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Films to watch before the release of Madame Web

1) Venom (2018)

Venom has been an arch-rival of Spider-Man since its inception. Given the popularity of this Marvel character, he has appeared in multiple Spider-Man animated series. Venom’s first live-action appearance came in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 3 (2007), where Topher Grace played the character.

His portrayal of Venom met with mixed reviews. Fans got another chance to see this Spider-Man character in 2018, but this time, the role was played by Tom Hardy. On its release, Venom (2018) opened to mixed reviews, with criticism mostly related to the storyline and the lack of an R-rating.

However, Hardy’s role as Venom was praised by many, and fans also loved to see the Oscar-nominated actor playing the role. This led to the humongous box office success of the film, with over $800 million in collections. The box office success led to the start of the Sony Spider-Man Universe.

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2) Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021)

Following Venom (2018), Sony released the sequel and a second film in the Sony Spider-Man Universe. Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021) introduced another symbiote character from Marvel, Carnage, played by Woody Harrelson. Much like its first part, the film saw mixed reviews from critics but turned out to be a box office success with over $500 million in collections in 2021.

Keeping aside the story of Venom: Let There Be Cranage, the film's post-credit scene came as a surprise for Marvel fans. The scene showcased Venom and Eddy Brock teleported to the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) timeline. The post-credit scene confirmed that Venom is part of the MCU, with Sony and Disney now sharing the universe.

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3) Morbius (2022)

After Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Sony released the third film, Morbius (2022), in its Spider-Man Universe. The film starred Jared Leto as Michael Morbius. Though the character was a proper Spider-Man villain in the comics, the film showed him as an anti-hero.

On its release, the film received negative reviews from critics and also turned out to be a box office failure. The feature later received a Golden Raspberry Award (parody award show honoring the worst of cinematic) nomination for Worst Picture. The post-credit scene of Morbius showed Adrian Toomes, aka Vulture, played by Michael Keaton, teleporting in the Sony Spider-Man Universe.

Following that, Vulture meets Morbius, where he tells Michael that for all this, somehow Spider-Man is responsible, suggesting that they should form a team, hinting at the building up of the Sinister Six. The character first appeared in Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), and his arrival in the Sony universe once again established the connection to the MCU.

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Madame Web, starring Dakota Johnson as Cassandra Web

Now, after Morbius, Madame Web will be the next installment in the Sony Spider-Man Universe. The film will feature Dakota Johnson as Cassandra Web, aka Madame Web, with psychic powers allowing her to see the future.

According to IMDB, the synopsis of the film reads,

“Cassandra Webb is a New York City paramedic who starts to show signs of clairvoyance. Forced to confront revelations about her past, she must protect three young women from a mysterious adversary who wants them dead.”

Given the synopsis, the adversary mentioned is Ezekiel Sims, who is hunting three women who have the potential to become Spider-Women in the future.

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Madame Web is not the only film set to release in the Sony Spider-Man Universe. Kraven the Hunter, starring Aaron Taylor Johnson in the lead role, will be the next installment, releasing on August 30, 2024, in the cinematic universe after Madame Web.