Dakota Johnson’s ‘Madame Web’ released on February 16th, 2024, becoming a much awaited new addition to the Spider-Man universe. It was the first movie in the overarching franchise to feature neither Venom nor Spider-Man. Led by an all-female cast, with ‘Spider Woman’ played by Dakota, the movie is an extension of Marvel into its plan for Phase 5. Part of the Sony Spiderman franchise, the movie is loosely interconnected with the Marvel Cinematic Universe but largely forms its own continuity, focussing on characters from the Spider-Man comics. The franchise includes the 2018 hit Venom and its sequel Venom: Let There Be Carnage, the Jared Leto-led Morbius, and the upcoming Kraven the Hunter.
Despite the head start from premiering mid-week over Valentine’s Day, Madame Web has the lowest box office opening in the history of the Sony Spider-Man franchise. The movie’s estimated budget is $80 million or more, and it is projected to earn a 6-day total of $24 million, making it impossible to earn a profit. This $24 million 6-day total has gone ahead and beaten the franchise’s previous low point, which was Morbius‘ opening of $39 million. The Madame Web Rotten Tomatoes score stands at a dismal 13%, with an audience score of 54%. Possible reasons for this embarassing failure are stated below.
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Reasons For Failure of Madame Web
Cheap Parody Of Spider-Man Universe
Madame Web introduces four Marvel heroes in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe: the titular hero Madame Web, and the three Spider-Women Julia Carpenter, Anya Corazón, and Mattie Franklin. Cassandra Webb’s origin story also marks the debut of a new live-action Peter Parker, though the future Spider-Man only appears as Mary Parker’s baby.
However, the plot makes a huge mistake as instead of following the routine path of focussing on the main protagonist’s transformation into their superhuman form, Madame Web follows the four protagonists as they escape from the evil Spider-Person Ezekiel Sims for most of the movie’s runtime. This diversion from the original Marvel movie formula has proven to be disastrous, coupled with a weak script, cheap graphics and costumes, and a rickety base dependent completely on an already established and beloved franchise. The movie does nothing of note with its connections to Peter Parker. Cassie has no relevant exchanges with Ben or Mary Parker, and there are only mentions of a baby and vague prophecies.
Cringe-Worthy Dialogues
Throughout Madame Web, characters drop multiple lines of dialogue that couldn’t be described as anything above awkward. For instance, Cassie Webb’s reaction to a dead bird coming to life and to her own near-death experience sound inappropriately casual and robotic. Similarly, Tahar Rahim’s Ezekiel Sims’ careful description of his evil plan to a woman he barely knows comes off as comedic rather than intimidating, and the same woman asks Ezekiel “are you poisoning me?” as soon as he grabs her arm.
The constant nods at Ben Parker’s death, which include lines like “have you ever been shot at in Queens?” and “all of the fun and none of the responsibility” all feel like a tacky gimmick to attract fans of the original movies. Mary Parker also mentions that baby Peter never stops “leaping around” in her womb, and Peter’s lesson about responsibility gets hijacked by Cassie when she’s told that “when you embrace responsibility, great power will come”. Madame Web then ends on an awkward note with the line “the best part about the future… it hasn’t happened yet.”
Weak Character Development
Critics and audiences alike have pointed out several issues:
- One-dimensional characters: Characters like Cassie Webb/Madame Web and the other heroes and villains lack depth and complexity. They come across as stereotypical and predictable, with motivations and personalities that aren’t fully explored.
- Lack of connection: The film struggles to foster meaningful connections between the characters. This makes it difficult for viewers to invest in their journeys and care about their outcomes.
- Focus on plot over people: The story seems to prioritize plot twists and action sequences over developing the characters. This leaves them feeling underdeveloped and forgettable.
Here are some specific examples mentioned in reviews:
- Dakota Johnson’s Cassie Webb a.k.a. Madame Web: She comes across as detached and awkward, lacking a defined personality beyond her psychic abilities.
- Supporting characters: Julia Cornwall, Anya Corazón, and Mattie Franklin are walking stereotypes, with Julia as the “nerd”, Anya as the outgoing teenager, and Mattie as the rebel. They often serve as plot devices rather than individuals with their own motivations and arcs.
- Villain: Ezekiel Sims lacks complexity and feels like a generic evil mastermind. Instead of using his massive wealth and resources to order a hit on the three innocent girls, Ezekiel chases them on foot and attempts to kill them with his own hands. And despite having the same powers as most Spider-People, he fails multiple times. In the end, Ezekiel Sims gets crushed by two letters of a Pepsi Cola sign, and the damage Cassie Webb takes is only due to the explosion she caused.
While the film attempts to have an ambitious, multi-character narrative, it seems to falter in giving them the depth and nuance they deserve. This can leave the overall experience feeling unsatisfying and forgettable.
Meme Material
Very much like Morbius, Madame Web has become meme material online, but for all the wrong reasons. While Morbius memes were more diverse, including elements of both appreciation and mockery, “Madame Web” memes stemmed from perceived flaws in the movie itself. It became fuel for online humor as-
- Unintentionally Hilarious Dialogue: The trailer contained a line uttered by Dakota Johnson’s character, “He was in the Amazon with my mom when she was researching spiders right before she died.” This clunky, exposition-heavy sentence became an instant meme for its awkwardness and lack of context. While the line was ultimately cut from the movie, it cemented its place in meme history.
- Questionable Story Choices: The trailer presented a loose adaptation of the comic book character, raising questions about its faithfulness and overall direction. This led to speculation and humor surrounding the creative decisions.
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