Is it a case of life imitating art? Sydney Sweeney, who plays Spider-Woman in the upcoming Madame Web movie, was bitten by a real spider while filming Anyone But You in Australia.
Sweeney discussed the incident during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, which broadcast a blooper from the rom com. We see Sweeney in acting mode with a Huntsman spider on her arm, but then things clearly get a bit too real. As realisation at what happens sinks in, Sweeney bellows a scream, or as she puts in, “that was a soul scream”. “I thought I was gonna die.”
As Sweeney explains, the Huntsman was meant to be trained for scene. Huntsman spiders are widespread in Australia, and are well-known for their size and speed. But while they are venomous, a bite is usually not harmful to people beyond the pain from the bite itself.
Sydney Sweeney got bit by a huntsman spider while filming a scene for ‘Anyone But You.’ pic.twitter.com/trrJp6Afzr
— Sebastian Dandelion 🇵🇸 (@sillywackyboy) December 13, 2023
Following the bite, Sweeney was treated by a doctor who, unaware of her upcoming role as Spider-Woman in Madame Web, wrote a note in which they joked she had become Spider-Woman. It’s an unlikely unintended Easter egg for Madame Web, and perhaps a not-entirely canon origin story for the character. But for Sweeney, it all felt very real in the moment. “I was like, it’s poisonous, I’m gonna die!” she said.
Last month Sony Pictures Entertainment released the debut trailer for Madame Web, due to hit theatres February 16, 2024. Madame Web is connected to the Sony Spider-Man cinematic universe, although it’s described as a “standalone origin story”.
In the Marvel comics, Madame Web, real name Cassandra Webb, is an elderly mutant with clairvoyant powers who has been associated with various Spider-Women. But the movie is set before Madame Web is in the wheelchair she is famous for using in the comics.
In the trailer we see Dakota Johnson as Madame Web, Sweeney as Julia Carpenter/Spider-Woman, and Tahar Rahim as the Spider-Man-like villain, Ezekiel “Zeke” Sims. We also get a glimpse of two other Spider-Heroes who join forces with Madame Web and Spider-Women to defeat Ezekiel.
The internet had a laugh about one line in particular, read by Madame Web as she describes the untimely death of her mother and Ezekiel’s potential role in it. Here’s the line in question: “He was in the Amazon with my mom when she was researching spiders right before she died.” It didn’t take long after the trailer went live for people to turn it into a meme, with plenty of jokes about mums going to the Amazon to research spiders.
Perhaps Sydney Sweeney can now relate.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
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