Summary
Madame Webis the latest release in Sony’s movie lineup, set inthe interconnectedSony Spider-Man Universe(SSU). Just like all comic book movies that came before it, and almost every movie to come after, it features its fair share of comic book Easter eggs and references.
Much like Jared Leto’s living vampire movieMorbius, which also featured its ownEaster eggs and references,Madame Webhas its dose of winks and nods to the movies and comics that came before. Some fans may have caught them; others may have slipped them by.
“Get me references to Spider-Man!”
J. Jonah. Jameson is one of the most prevalent characters in Spider-Man lore. His obsession with the wall-crawler often leads to many bad headlines for the Daily Bugle and portrays the hero as a menace rather than a protector to the citizens of New York.
Despite being a prevalent character in mostSpider-Manmovies,he’s also done a great deal in the comicsthat the averageSpider-Manfan may not know. Though the character is never seen inMadame Web, he is referenced by Mattie Franklin (Celeste O’Connor) after the three girls are rescued by Cassie following the subway attack by Ezekiel Sims. During the taxi ride, the group overhears that Cassie has been framed for the kidnapping of the girls. Mattie mentions that she could speak to her “uncle Jonah” to help defuse the situation, a nod to the media mogul himself and his sway within the city of New York.
A reworded motto
“With great power comes great responsibility.” It’s one of the most famous quotes from anySpider-Manmedium, and with good reason. It’s a crucial part of any Spider-person in the interconnected Spider-verse. This being another movie set with that entangled web, Cassie needed to have her version of the speech passed on to her.
On her visit back to the Amazon in hopes of finding her answers, she stumbles upon one of the Las Aranas (Spider-people) who take her to the same spot as she was born. When she starts to unlock her power, the famous speech is delivered to her, albeit in a not-so-catchy fashion. “When you take on the responsibility, great power will come.” It’sone of the few quotes from the moviethat fans and viewers of the movie have picked up on.
A Sam Raimi Throwback
It’s probably no surprise thatMadame Webfeatures a fair few references to the web-slinging hero. One of the smaller moments is a reference toSam Raimi’s 2002Spider-Manmovie in a scene where Peter Parker discovers he can crawl on walls.
The shot is played for laughs, but it is a neat callback from the film as Cassie Webb, trying to figure out what similar powers she possesses, tries to see if she can crawl on the wall like a spider. In the scene, the camera mimics that of Raimi’s, looking down from the sky as Cassie attempts to latch onto the wall and climb. Unfortunately for her, this isn’t a power she possesses as she quickly crumples to the floor.
5"You Won’t Like Me When I’m Hangry."
Green with anger
During the early half of the film, the soon-to-be Spider-women are hiding out in the woods following their escape from Ezekiel Sims after he comes to murder them on the subway. Soon, Cassie explains she has to leave to retrieve something from her home and emphasizes that the girls should stay in the woods to remain safe.
That thought is soon disregarded as the girls get hungry, and an argument ensues. The girls soon decide to leave in search of food at the nearby diner they passed on the way to the woods, with Mattie Franklin (Celeste O’Connor) explaining to the girls, “You won’t like me when I’m hangry.” A nod to Marvel’s rage-fueled green hero,The Incredible Hulk. Most fans of the hero will remember the line being delivered by Bill Bixby as Dr. David Banner in the 1977-1982The Incredible Hulkseries, which also starred Lou Ferrigno. However, many more actors have gone on to play the Hulk and his alter ego Bruce Baner, with the likes of Edward Norton and Mark Ruffalo being the most recent.
4"Don’t You Know That You’re Toxic?"
Diner Danger
With the film being set in 2003, there are plenty of early 2000 references throughout the movie. Whether that be a glimpse of Sony’s portable handheld, the PSP, or the DVD rental store Blockbuster still in operation,Madame Webset the period (even if the PSP wasn’t released in the States until 2005, it was still nice to see).
One such early 2000 reference was the hit song Toxic by Britney Spears. The song is seen playing in the 4 Star Diner, where the group of girls has run off to. During the scene, the girls are seen dancing on the table to the song, but the actual song is a nod to the powers of poison that are held by Ezekiel Sims. Following the girls dancing and Cassie crashing into the diner, Ezekiel Sims managed to grab hold of Cassie’s arm and slip in some of his poison. Didn’t she know that he’s toxic?
3Father Of Mystery
Richard Parker’s mysterious life teased
In an offhanded comment at Mary Parker’s baby shower, she is questioned about the whereabouts of her partner and Peter Parker’s eventual father, Richard Parker. She casually responds to guests at the baby shower that he is away from home on business, jetting off to places around the world like “Mumbai or Shanghai” for work.
The statement is a reference to Richard’s mysterious work, whether that be like an iteration in the comics where the character is known as a spy or if it is a more direct link toThe Amazing Spider-Manin which Richard is on the run from Oscorp following his discovery. Until a sequel, or a bizarre ‘The Parker Parents’ spin-off happens, who knows, stranger movies have been green-lit..
Responsibility awaits
There’s hardly a more prominent figure in Peter Parker’s life than his Uncle Ben. The character is the catalyst to Spider-Man becoming a hero, even so much as beingteased as a cardin the popularMarvel Snapcard game.
After Mary Parker’s child was born,Julia Carpenter(Sydney Sweeney) reported to Cassie that Ben’s nephew was born healthy and had no medical issues. She also goes on to add that he loves being an uncle as it allows him to have all the fun without any of the responsibilities. After hearing this, Cassie ominously responds, “That’s what he thinks,” in a nod to her foreseeing the future of Uncle Ben becoming the guardian and carer to Peter following the death of his sister and partner.
1A Spider-Man Is Born
A hero is born
Viewers will all be aware thatMadame Webis linked to the larger Spider-Man universe, but the hero himself was often teased in the film, even if the character was never named.
Early doors in the film, Cassie is invited alongside Ben to his sister Mary Parker’s baby shower. She mentions offhand that Peter’s father, Richard, is away on one of his many adventures, but the baby’s name is constantly teased from the baby shower confirmation being cut short to even his birth at the end. Everything points to the baby Peter Parker, even if the film never directly names the child. Still, with Sony pushing on their interconnected SonySpider-ManUniverse, there’s hope that Andrew Garfield’s Amazing Spider-Manmay finally get its deserved third entry.
