Madame Web concept art looks to reveal plans for a scrapped Spider-Man/Ezekiel showdown

Madame Web, Sony's most recent Marvel outing, has plenty of nods to Spider-Man, from the inclusion of his late mother Mary and his uncle Ben Parker to a re-jig on one of the comics' most iconic lines. But the webslinger is never mentioned explicitly by name and he's only (technically) seen in diapers... not a super-suit.

Now, though, Marvel concept artist Sebastian Meyer, who has worked on the likes of Doctor Strange, Black Panther, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, has shared some of his creations from the new movie and two of them look to reveal a scrapped showdown between Spider-Man and villain Ezekiel Sims. 

In one image, the pair appear to be engaged in a mid-air brawl over a lit-up New York City, while they can be seen tumbling down a skyscraper in the other.

The existence of the artwork is interesting given previous rumors surrounding the film... Back in January, it was reported that Madame Web underwent extensive reshoots when its creatives realized that its Spider-Man plans wouldn't track continuity wise. According to industry insider Jeff Sneider on The Hot Mic (via X), Sony had initially wanted Andrew Garfield's Peter Parker to appear in the movie but the team later pivoted to Tom Holland's – and, given his suit design, it's this version that we see in the concept art. Sneider went on to claim that all mentions of either Spider-Man were then removed when it became apparent that its 2003 setting wouldn't match up with the respective age of the characters.

It's worth noting, though, that neither Sony, Marvel, or director S. J. Clarkson has actually confirmed this. "She comes from that world, but she is her own character and that's what I think was really exciting was to explore the world of her and give her a voice. Give those other Spider-Women and Ezekiel voices within that world," the latter previously told GamesRadar+ and Inside Total Film.

Starring Celeste O'Connor, Isabela Merced, Tahar Rahim, Sydney Sweeney, and Dakota Johnson, Madame Web centers on 30-something paramedic Cassie, who inexplicably finds herself with clairvoyant abilities following a near-death experience. Onboard a train one evening, she sees a horrifying vision of a man murdering three young women and saves them all by intervening, thrusting the foursome into a dangerous game of cat and mouse with the would-be killer – setting her on a path to become the psychic superhero Madame Web.

Madame Web is available on VOD now. If you've already seen it, check out all the upcoming superhero movies heading our way.