Dakota Johnson Is Here To Save Sony's Spider-Man Universe In The Madame Web Trailer

If everything had gone differently, we would have already seen "Madame Web" by now. Yes, though the studios would have you believe it was delays caused by COVID-19, their refusal to give this summer's striking writers and actors a fair deal in a timely manner pushed the lady slinger back off her initial July 7 release date, and then again off an October 6 release. "Madame Web," the latest experiment in Sony's massively successful "Spider-Man" franchise, is now slated for February 16, 2024. That means it will open against the Bob Marley biopic, "One Love," so there should be distinct enough audiences for both films to do well.

There have already been two spinoffs of the core "Spider-Man" films, following the villains Venom and Morbius, to wildly different levels of success. If you count the "Spider-Verse" films as spinoffs, then there's an even higher bar for success that may not be fair to put "Madame Web" up to. But this film's got a lot of exciting components to it, from the star-studded cast (Dakota Johnson in the title role will be joined by Sydney Sweeney, Emma Roberts, Adam Scott, and Mike Epps) to the fascinating comics lore (if you want a deep dive, /Film's Ryan Scott has graciously penned one). Plus, veteran British television director S.J. Clarkson ("EastEnders," "Anatomy of a Scandal," "Jessica Jones") will take her first swing at directing a Marvel-sized feature.

We finally have our first extended look at the film in the form of a trailer, and it proves to be even more cause for optimism. Take a look, above.

As they're wont to do, and honestly, as is prudent for them to do, Clarkson, writers Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless ("Dracula Untold," "Morbius"), and the rest of the sizable team at both Sony and Marvel appear to have sought a balance between fan service and a fresh start. Johnson's Cassandra Webb (yes, Madame Web is Ms. Webb's honorary moniker and not a nickname) and Sweeney's Julia Carpenter are both derived directly from the "Amazing Spider-Man" comics first authored by Denny O'Neil and artist John Romita Jr., and later Joe Kelly. But there's plenty of original spin and brand-new inventions to keep things unburdened by the weight of Marvel's increasingly unmanageable lore.

In the comics, Cassandra Webb is depicted as an old woman kept alive by an intricate, spider-like web, hence her nickname. A rare neuromuscular disease called myasthenia gravis renders movement virtually impossible, but also gifted her with powerful telepathic and clairvoyant abilities. There's tons of lore around Cassandra and various spider-women, including Julia Carpenter, to whom Madame Webb eventually transfers all her power in a moment of crisis. But as can be seen in the new trailer, the new film appears to want to keep things, how shall we say, spritely, especially in the casting of the 34-year-old Johnson in the role of Cassandra Webb. The "Spider-Man" movies consistently perform quite well, but these days, with superhero movies seemingly on an unstoppable decline from their former perch atop the zeitgeist, it's anyone's guess. 

You'll be able to judge for yourself when "Madame Web" zooms into theaters on February 14, 2024.