After a disappointing finish for Marvel in the past year, all eyes are set on Dakota Johnson’s Marvel debut film, Madame Web. The latest edition to Sony’s expanding Spider-Man universe, the movie is said to be set in a new standalone world kicking off a brand new tale centered around the Marvel character of Cassandra Webb.
Starring as the titular Madame Web, Johnson will be starring along with some pretty well-known and promising actors. Since even the test screening reviews of the film were said to be promising, fans have high expectations of the film. However, early reviews of the movie seem to be absolutely devastating, making fans think Madame Webb will end up just like Morbius.
Early Reviews Of Madame Web Are Absolutely Brutal
Dakota Johnson‘s Madame Web promises a suspenseful thriller by bringing several new characters on the screen from the Spider-Man universe. A standalone film centered on the titular Madame Web aka Cassandra Webb, the film promises some amazing action, a dark storyline, and a whole new world existing alongside but possibly apart from Marvel’s cinematic universe.
As per the test screening, the movie was said to have a definite potential to put an end to Sony and Marvel’s bad luck when it comes to superhero movies (see GameRant). However, the early reviews of the movie look far from promising, and make the movie sound blunt, weak, and an overall wasted potential for a film that could have been much better.
As per The Hollywood Handle, Madame Web is a clunky, poorly-written, messy, and sloppy movie packed with some mediocre editing and performances. The majority of reviews on the internet (via X) are negative, calling the movie out for its terrible execution despite having an intriguing concept.
Despite having impressive cinematography, the fans’ fears appear to have come true. When it was first revealed that the movie was written by Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless, the brains behind the critically panned Morbius, many were already worried that the movie would yet be another glorious entry into the list of failed Marvel movies (see The Direct).
Even though the movie is yet to be released, things are not looking good. But since many fans on the internet don’t want to repeat their mistake of being swayed by critical reviews, there is still hope for Dakota Johnson’s debut Marvel film.
How Much Does Madame Web Need To Earn To Be A Commercial Success
With the winds of superhero fatigue raging on all across the world and the mostly disappointing reviews making rounds on the internet, the future looks miserable for Madame Web. True that there are somewhat positive reviews, the mostly negative and average reviews have already made fans anxious, making the movie susceptible to the same fate as DC’s Aquaman 2.
And especially when the anti-woke sentiments are rising yet again (see The Economist), to which even The Marvels fell prey to some extent (see Forbes), Sony releasing a superhero movie with not one but four female leads is a recipe for disaster.
Made against a budget of less than $100 million (via Variety), Madame Web will have to earn double its budget to reach the break-even point. And to be hailed as a success, the film will have to surpass $200 million by a potentially big margin.
Projected to gross about $20-25 million during its opening 6-day run (via Deadline), it is hard to guess whether the movie will be able to make more than $200 million worldwide. With its impressive marketing campaign and it’s already becoming a part of the internet’s meme culture, the future for Madame Web may look dark but there might be light outside the tunnel.
Madame Web will be in theatres on February 14, 2024.
