Madame Web expands Sony's universe of Marvel characters even further, introducing Dakota Johnson's titular superhero and an A-list cast made of young movie stars. The film introduces the Venomverse to the larger Marvel multiverse through the eyes of Cassandra Webb, who develops psychic powers allowing her to see into other universes.

However, Cassandra Web isn't the only superhero who appears in Madame Web. In an attempt to rapidly expand its cinematic universe, Sony is stuffing the film with plenty of other heroines from Marvel Comics. From Sydney Sweeney's Spider-Woman to Adam Scott's Ben Parker, here are the most important characters in Madame Web and the actors who play them.

Updated on May 20, 2024, by Arthur Goyaz: Although everyone's favorite friendly neighborhood hero Spider-Man doesn't appear in Madame Web, there are many key comic book characters introduced in the movie. This list was updated to include a section about Madame Web's supporting cast and characters and to meet CBR's current formatting standards.

8 Dakota Johnson Is Madame Web, A Paramedic Who Can See the Future

Dakota Johnson stars as Cassandra Webb, a paramedic working in New York City who gains clairvoyant powers after being involved in a freak accident. Using her new ability to see the future, Webb takes on the mantle of Madame Web and teams up with a trio of superheroes with spider-based powers against the mysterious and dangerous Ezekiel Simms.

Madame Web is central to the Spider-Verse in Marvel Comics, often connecting different branches of the multiverse using her particularly close connection to the Great Web of Life and Destiny. The face of the Madame Web film is Johnson, who first rose to prominence in 2010 as Amelia Ritter in The Social Network. She went on to star in the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy as Anastasia Steele, the Oscar-nominated movie The Lost Daughter as Nina, the indie rom-com Cha Cha Real Smooth as Domino, and the retelling of Jane Austen's 1817 novel Persuasion as Anne Elliot.

7 Sydney Sweeney Takes On the Spider-Woman Suit

Sydney Sweeney makes her superhero debut in Madame Web as Julia Cornwall, the third of a trio of women who become targets for Ezekiel Simms. After teaming up with Mattie Franklin, Anya Corazon, and Cassandra Webb, Julia learns to hone her new superpowers and adopts the alter-ego of Spider-Woman. Together, the four spider-based characters from Madame Web fight against Ezekiel Sims to save the Spider-Verse. While she is far from the only one to bear the title, Julia Carpenter is perhaps the most famous Spider-Woman, though she has also gone on by the name Arachne at times.

One of the biggest names in Madame Web's cast, Sweeney has become a movie star on the rise after the enormous success of HBO's Euphoria, where she plays Cassie. The actress also recently starred in the rom-com Anyone But You and the horror movie Immaculate, both of which she acted as a producer. Before becoming a movie star, Sweeney was most commonly known for TV projects such as Everything Sucks!, The Handmaid's Tale, and The White Lotus.

6 Isabela Merced's Araña Also Has Spider-Based Superpowers

Isabela Merced appears in Madame Web as Anya Corazon, a young girl whose future Cassandra Web believes to be of extreme importance. As one of the superheroes in Madame Web, Anya and a group of other young women gain spider-based superpowers, getting involved in the fate of the dangerous Ezekiel Sims. Anya is forced to hone her skills to become the superhero known as Araña.

After delivering a delightful performance as Anya, Isabela Merced is moving to the DCU, where she's set to play the superhero Hawkgirl in Superman: Legacy. The young actress, who's only 22 years old, is known for her prodigious work in films like Instant Family, Sicario: Day of the Soldado, and Transformers: The Last Knight.

5 Celeste O'Connor Is Mattie Franklin, A Promising Teenage Heroine

Madame Web introduces Mattie Franklin, portrayed by Celeste O'Connor. Franklin is one of three young women Cassandra Webb takes under her wing after peering into their futures. Hunted down by the villainous Ezekiel Simms, Mattie Franklin, and her new allies do their best to hone their abilities and fight back. In the comics, Mattie Franklin is the niece of Daily Bugle publisher J. Jonah Jameson, who leads a public crusade against the superhero Spider-Man.

Ironically, Jameson is entirely unaware that his niece is yet another spider-based superhero, one of many characters to adopt the moniker of Spider-Woman over the years. The Venomverse isn't the only big-budget project O'Connor has starred in: she's also known for playing Lucky in the new Ghostbusters movie. In addition, she played key roles in movies such as Freaky, a darkly funny serial killer story, and A Good Person, the moving story of a young woman coming to terms with a traumatic accident.

4 Tahar Rahim Plays Ezekiel Sims, A Ruthless Villain

Tahar Rahim portrays Ezekiel Sims, a mysterious explorer with ties to Cassandra Web's deceased mother. Ezekiel Sims is Madame Web's main villain, who is searching for a little-known tribe in the Amazon Rain Forest. Ezekiel's search leads him to be bitten by a spider, giving him unusual superpowers including the ability to see his future. This discovery prompts him to go after the people who will be responsible for his death.

Sims is a bit of a controversial character in the comics as his appearance turned Peter into a hero who was chosen as a "spider totem" as opposed to an accidental hero. Rahim is a French actor who was already a huge star in his native country due to foreign classics like A Prophet and Inside. Sims' English-language movies include The Mauritanian, The Eagle, and most recently, Ridley Scott's polarizing Napoleon, where the actor played Paul Barras.

3 Adam Scott is Peter Parker's Iconic Uncle Ben

Adam Scott plays Ben Parker in Madame Web. Audiences will certainly recognize the character, who is the selfsame uncle of Peter Parker himself. In this universe, Ben works with the New York City Fire Department, something which is new to the character. Ben Parker isn't usually a young man when he appears in the Spider-Man movies and usually, he doesn't have much of a life on screen.

Adam Scott is a TV veteran known for his work in series like Parks and Recreation, Big Little Lies, and Severance. As someone who likes to balance between comedy projects and heavy dramas, Scott's movie career also has a little of both, with movies that range from slapstick comedies like Step Brothers and Knocked Up to historical dramas such as Black Mass and The Aviator.

2 Emma Roberts Plays a Young Version of Mary Parker

Emma Roberts plays a crucial Madame Web character: Mary Parker, the little-seen mother of Peter Parker. The character's appearance was kept absent from the movie's marketing to grace fans with a delightful surprise. She's introduced as Ben's pregnant sister-in-law, teasing the birth of Peter Parker. In the comics, Mary Parker is more than just Spider-Man's mother. She and her husband Richard were secretly SHIELD agents who ran missions against hard-hitting villains like the Red Skull.

Roberts' role in Madame Web is limited, but it's one of the film's greatest highlights. The actress's big break came in the teen TV show Unfabulous, followed by the enormous success of Aquamarine. Roberts then went on to star in a succession of horror projects, including American Horror Story, Scream 4, Scream Queens, and The Hunt.

1 Madame Web's Supporting Cast & Characters Are Also Important