Madame Web's Streaming Debut Tops Netflix Chart, But Audiences Slam The Spider-Man Universe Box Office Bomb

The recent Netflix release of Madame Web has achieved the predictable feat of receiving a wave of scathing reviews while leaping straight to the top of the streamer’s movie chart. Displacing the equally criticized Mother of the Bride, the Sony Spider-Man Universe movie is no stranger to being slapped around by viewers after securing a dismally low Rotten Tomatoes score during its theatrical run at the beginning of the year.

The Dakota Johnson and Sydney Sweeney-starring superhero movie’s Netflix debut has revived the animosity shown towards the latest of Sony’s “Spider-Man without Spider-Man” movies. Although the film’s 57% audience score has not dropped any further, it has not been improved by the film’s exposure to all those people who did not turn out to see it in theaters.

Madame Web

1/5

Release Date: February 14, 2024
Runtime: 1hr 57min
Studio: Columbia Pictures, Marvel Entertainment, Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE)
Franchise: Marvel

Critics and fans mostly agreed that Madame Web is an “embarrassing mess” and “the worst comic book movie ever.” However, the difference between the Tomatometer score of 11% and an audience score of 57% suggested that critics were much harsher towards the film. Deep diving into the reviews themselves, though, proves that even the majority of positive reviews are not exactly glowing. Financially, the film did not fare much better, only managing to make $15.1 million during its opening weekend, and ending its run at $100 million – roughly the same as its budget.

What Went So Wrong With Madame Web?

Madame Web follows Cassandra Webb (Johnson), a New York City paramedic who discovers she has clairvoyant abilities. As she unravels secrets about her past, she becomes the protector of three young women (Sweeney, Isabela Merced, and Celeste O’Connor) who are all in danger from Ezekiel Sims (Tahar Rahim), who wants to kill them before they become Spider-Women in the future and kill him.

Before Sony released its first trailer for the movie, hope was high that the studio’s run of bad reviews for their non-MCU Marvel movies – which had already hit a low with Jared Leto’s Morbius – would come to an end with Madame Web. However, that was not to be. With many citing the film’s plot and dialogue as the main gripes, adding in characters and performances that did not resonate or excite saw the appetite for paying to see the movie in cinemas very quickly dissipate, leaving Madame Web in a tangled mess of disappointment.

An edited image of Sydney Sweeney in Madame Web along with Tom Holland as Spider-Man in his super suit

Sydney Sweeney’s Madame Web Failure Shouldn’t Be the End of Her Marvel Career

Madame Web might have been a box office disappointment, but Marvel Studios should find a role for Sydney Sweeney in the MCU.

The situation was further complicated by the reactions of the film’s stars. Sydney Sweeney, during her Saturday Night Live monologue, joked about the film’s failure, indicating a general acknowledgment of the movie’s poor reception even among its cast. Meanwhile, Dakota Johnson reportedly upset Sony executives by publicly criticizing the film, and not responding well during interviews.

While Madame Web is seeing a new lease of life on Netflix, it was always meant to provide a cinematic experience. The fact so many are willing to watch the film at home, but were not interested in venturing out to cinemas once again poses the question of how viable big budget cinema releases is in an era when streaming continues to be king. With Sony having pushed back their next Spider-Man Universe movie, Kraven the Hunter, the faith of their Marvel franchise outside of Spider-Man movies actually focused on a Spider-Man is rapidly being lost.