Villain of Madame Web: Ezekiel Sims Explained

"Spider-Man Universe set to expand with Madame Web, featuring female-fronted entry with psychic Spider-Person Cassandra Webb and intriguing villain Ezekiel Sims."

The upcoming film Madame Web has the potential to change Spider-Man lore forever. This female-fronted entry in the franchise features Dakota Johnson as psychic Spider-Person Cassandra Webb, joined by a trio of other Spider-Women played by Sydney Sweeney, Isabela Merced, and Celeste O'Connor. The movie's villain, Ezekiel Sims, played by Tahar Rahim, is a deep-cut Marvel Comics adaptation, depicted as a figure in an all-black Spider-Man-like suit pursuing the Spider-Women with ruthless determination.

Sims is an old colleague of Cassandra's parents from an expedition to the Amazon rainforest, and it seems he has traveled back to the present to take out the Spider-Women before they can grow powerful enough to stop him. This portrayal of Sims differs from his character in the comics, where he is actually a mentor figure for Peter Parker, revealing the truth about Spider-Totems, mystical multiversal gods who choose champions to be their avatars on Earth.

The concept of Spider-Totems could potentially factor into the film, as Madame Web's psychic powers derive from her connection to the Web, and Sims himself is a Spider-Person who developed powers similar to Spider-Man through a mystical ritual. This new take on Sims in the film is a departure from his comedic portrayal in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, and has fans intrigued to see how it will impact the Spider-Man narrative. With this expansion of the Spider-Man Universe, Madame Web has the potential to be a game-changer in Spider-Man lore.