‘Madame Web’ Might Have Killed Sony’s Marvel Universe Dreams
Sony’s big bet on ‘Madame Web‘ didn’t quite pan out as they’d hoped. The buzz around the trailer was pretty lukewarm, and the ticket sales didn’t do much to lift spirits. But the real kicker came with the critic reviews. With a Rotten Tomatoes score of just 13%, it’s been a while since we’ve seen superhero flicks take such a hit.
People were actually getting refunds on their advance tickets. It’s a bit of a shocker, especially when you think about how even ‘Shazam! 2’ did better. The opening week in North America brought in just $26.2 million, which is pretty low for a Marvel character movie. And the global numbers weren’t much to celebrate either.
Sony’s had its ups and downs with Spider-Man spinoffs, but ‘Madame Web’ was supposed to be different. They had Dakota Johnson leading the charge, with a hint at a new franchise. The movie also introduced characters played by Sydney Sweeney, Celeste O’Connor, and Isabela Merced, setting up a potential Spider-Women team. But now, that’s looking pretty unlikely.
The superhero genre has been feeling the pinch, and not just at Sony. Last year wasn’t great for superhero movies across the board, except for ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’. It seems like folks might be getting a bit tired of the same old storylines.
‘Madame Web’ tried to shake things up. Directed by S.J. Clarkson and starring Johnson as a New York paramedic turned psychic, it aimed to be more than your typical cape and cowl affair. The idea was to appeal to women and young girls, but even with that, the audience was still mostly male.
The folks at Sony are feeling the heat. They’ve had some wins, like the ‘Spider-Verse’ series and ‘Venom’, but ‘Madame Web’ was a miss they didn’t need. The movie’s budget was over $100 million, which is less than what others spend but still a hefty sum for a flop.
Some reviewers see a silver lining, calling ‘Madame Web’ a potential cult classic for its campiness. But that’s a small consolation for Sony. In the movie biz, it’s better to be remembered for success than for failure.
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