Madame Web Star Distances Herself From Future Superhero Films

Madame Web star Dakota Johnson has revealed she is unlikely to sign onto another superhero project similar to the Sony Spider Man spin off after the disastrous reception to the film. 

Johnson starred in the film alongside Sydney Sweeney, Celeste O’Connor, Isabela Merced, Emma Roberts and Adam Scott amongst others. The film was slammed by critics and audiences alike who voted with their feet resulting in low box office returns.

What’s Been Said?

Johnson speaking to Bustle said she is “not surprised that it’s gone down the way it has”. 

“It’s so hard to get movies made, and in these big movies that get made — and it’s even starting to happen with the little ones, which is what’s really freaking me out — decisions are being made by committees, and art does not do well when it’s made by committee,” 

“Films are made by a filmmaker and a team of artists around them,” 

“You cannot make art based on numbers and algorithms. My feeling has been for a long time that audiences are extremely smart, and executives have started to believe that they’re not.”

On what it was like filming the project Johnson responded it was “definitely an experience”.

“I had never done anything like it before,” 

“I probably will never do anything like it again because I don’t make sense in that world. And I know that now.”

“(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.”

Spider-verse Over?

The response to Madame Web, coupled with previous disappointments with Morbius and in some respects Venom, will have Sony executives worrying. They have already got Kraven The Hunter and Venom 3 set to release later this year and if they make similar losses it could leave the entire Sony spider-verse in jeopardy. The only saving grace has been the unlikely success of the animated Into and Across the Spiderverse films which were both critically acclaimed. Marvel executives will be watching closely as it could also be argued that these films are damaging one of their most well-known assets in Spiderman.

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