Madame Web, the latest superhero movie in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, tells the story of Cassandra Webb, a New York City paramedic who gains powers from a very unusual spider — before Peter Parker was even born.
Also, her last name is Webb. Get it? As in, spider web?!?
Over the course of the film, Webb finds herself serving the role of protector for three young women who may have important roles to play in the future of crime fighting. She has to contend with a bad guy named Ezekiel, who wants to make sure those same three women don’t get in the way of his evil plans.
We got to see an early screening of Madame Web, and we couldn’t help but notice that the five main characters could all benefit greatly if they were to each earn one of the following merit badges.
First Aid
OK, we’re kind of cheating on this one.
Webb doesn’t need to earn the First Aid merit badge. She needs to teach it!
Early in the movie, we see Webb treating injured people at the scene of an automobile wreck. When she becomes trapped in a car as it sinks under the water, she is unconsciously able to tap into some unique superpowers that she had no idea she even had.
The character of Madame Web is a lot different here than she is in the comics. In the comics, she’s portrayed as an older, Professor X-type figure. In the movie, we get her origin story, and learn how she gained the ability to predict the future.
Camping
One of the three women that Webb is tasked with protecting is Julia Carpenter, who in the comics eventually becomes Spider-Woman. (Julia recently appeared in 2023’s Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse movie.)
In Madame Webb, Julia is a shy teenager with no idea what her future holds in store. She has no superpowers, but at one point in the movie she says she wishes she was more comfortable camping in the woods.
Julia, let me introduce you to the Camping merit badge, where you’ll learn how to have fun while staying safe in the wilderness.
Wilderness Survival
The second person under Webb’s protection is Anya Corazón, who in the comics eventually becomes Spider-Girl (another hero who also appeared in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse).
Like Julia, Anya is clueless when it comes to getting by in the woods, far away from civilization. So much so that it results in her making a decision that almost costs the team greatly.
Anya, have you considered the Wilderness Survival merit badge? By earning it, you’ll learn all you need to know about surviving in the wilderness by relying on the things around you.
Skating
The third soon-to-be superhero in the movie is Mattie Franklin, who in the comics eventually becomes a different version of Spider-Woman (who – you guessed it – also appeared in Across the Spider-Verse).
Mattie is a skateboarder, which means she’d be the perfect future superhero to earn the Skating merit badge, which now includes a skateboarding option in which Scouts can learn about how to safely do all kinds of cool tricks on a skateboard.
Citizenship in the Nation
To put it bluntly, Ezekiel is not very nice. He’s afraid that the three Spider-Women/Girl will stop his evil plans in the future, so he desperately wants to get rid of them in the present.
Ezekiel is the only character in the movie that uses the spider powers that we’re all familiar with; however, he chooses to use them for evil, not good.
Zeke! Chill out! With great power comes great responsibility! Consider working on the Citizenship in the Nation merit badge, where you’ll learn how to be a responsible citizen, not one who’s always trying to blow everything up.
But is Madame Web a good movie?
Madame Web is a superhero origin story in which some of the heroes never even gain their powers. Compared to other superhero movies, there aren’t nearly as many flashy, crazy fight scenes.
Instead, this movie is more of a mystery/thriller in which our heroes must figure out a way to stop a villain who has more powers than they do.
Madame Web is rated PG-13 for some intense action sequences. It swings into theaters tomorrow, Feb. 14.
Photos courtesy of Sony Pictures
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