‘Never do anything like it again’: Dakota Johnson’s Madame Web reception possibly ended franchise

Dakota Johnson’s starring role in Sony’s Madame Web has resulted in a major critical and commercial failure, potentially disrupting Sony’s plans for a Spider-Man universe spin-off series. The movie, which was meant to kick off a new line of superhero films, instead became the latest in a series of poorly performing superhero releases, leaving Sony executives reportedly discouraged.

As found by The Guardian,  in an interview with Bustle, Johnson herself said she is not surprised by the film’s negative reception and suggested she is unlikely to take on a similar project in the future. Madame Web, a superhero movie intended to expand the Spider-Man universe, earned a harsh 12% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, a clear sign of its overwhelmingly bad reviews.

Critics heavily criticized the film, with some calling it one of the worst comic book adaptations ever made. This harsh judgment matches its disappointing box office results. Despite an estimated production budget of $80 million, Madame Web only made $91 million worldwide, a major loss for the studio and a clear sign that audiences were not interested.

Even Dakota Johnson can see the issues with Madame Web

This weak performance has reportedly left Sony executives feeling doubtful about the future of their planned spin-off series. The studio had high expectations for Madame Web as a key project, but its failure has damaged their broader goals for the Spider-Man universe. The poor reception has raised serious doubts about whether future spin-off projects can succeed, leaving the studio’s immediate expansion plans unclear.

Johnson said, “I don’t make sense in that world. And I know that now. But sometimes in this industry, you sign on to something, and it’s one thing and then as you’re making it, it becomes a completely different thing, and you’re like, Wait, what? But it was a real learning experience, and of course it’s not nice to be a part of something that’s ripped to shreds, but I can’t say that I don’t understand.”

Johnson’s comments reflect the widespread disappointment surrounding the film. She acknowledged the negative reaction and said she understood the criticism, implying that the final version of the movie was very different from what she initially thought it would be. This raises concerns about how the film was made and the possible gap between the original vision and the end result.

She made it clear that she “probably will never do anything like it again,” but its hard to fault her when even Russell Crowe took shots at her. This reaction makes sense given the film’s poor performance and extremely negative reviews, and it highlights the risks and unpredictability of big-budget superhero movies.

The failure of Madame Web is also part of a larger trend affecting the superhero genre. Recent movies like Shazam 2, The Marvels, and The Flash have also faced bad reviews and weak box office numbers. However, there was a lot of controversy surrounding them. There’s even doubt that Tom Holland could return, so it’s not looking good for Sony.