Dakota Johnson’s first foray into the superhero world has not worked out quite as well as she would have expected. The beautiful star officially became a Marvel alum when she signed on for the role of the clairvoyant mutant Cassandra Webb in the Marvel-Sony collaboration, Madame Web. Unfortunately, the film has been panned universally by critics and fans, with Johnson’s indifferent performance also being a bone of contention.
Following the brutal backlash, the Fifty Shades of Grey star could be questioning her decision to sign on for this film. But looking back in time, Johnson’s original desire to star as one enigmatic superhero could have made her an icon and saved her the embarrassment that she is now garnering through Madame Web’s failure.
Dakota Johnson Wanted To Play Catwoman
Getting the opportunity to work with a superhero franchise like Marvel and DC is a dream that many actors have. Dakota Johnson was in the elite list of celebrities who was offered a marquee gig when she was cast as Cassandra Webb in Madame Web. The character who appears in the storylines of the Spider-Man comics, has many interesting traits that Marvel felt Johnson could tap into.
Unfortunately, reality hit hard and Madame Web’s reception at the box office and with critics was anything but positive. Following severe backlash with regard to the plot, screenplay, and Johnson’s own performance, the film is now being talked about as one of the worst efforts to come out of the Marvel-Sony camp.
While The Lost Daughter star could possibly be regretting her involvement in the film, she could also be looking back at a time when she expressed her desire to play a superhero who was not Madame Web. In a earlier interview with Vanity Fair, Johnson was asked if she was interested in playing a Marvel character. While the celebrity got the franchise wrong, she named DC’s Catwoman as a character she would love to take on.
Catwoman has been one of DC’s enigmatic and interesting superheroes played by A-list stars like Michelle Pfeiffer, Halle Berry, and Anne Hathaway who have all received praise for their performances. This part could have probably saved Dakota Johnson’s current reputation if her earlier wish to play Catwoman had materialized. Unfortunately, fate had other plans for her with Madame Web.
Did Dakota Johnson Predict Madame Web’s Failure?
Madame Web is having a forgettable run at the box office and is not doing any favors to Dakota Johnson’s career either. While the film is being ripped apart from all sides, earlier conversations with Johnson possibly indicate that the star herself was unsure about the film faring well mainly owing to her confessions about facing difficulties while filming the technical aspects. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly regarding the doubts that she had about having done justice to the part, Johnson stated,
“I’ve never really done a movie where you are on a blue screen, and there’s fake explosions going off, and someone’s going, ‘Explosion!’ and you act like there’s an explosion“That to me was absolutely psychotic. I was like, ‘I don’t know if this is going to be good at all! I hope that I did an OK job!’”
Johnson went on to add that she tried to compensate for her fears by working extremely hard with the blue screen to ensure that she was able to turn in a realistic performance as Madame Web. But fans who heard her trepidations, questioned the film’s success at the box office and felt that the star was predicting her own movie’s failure by putting herself down. These speculations unfortunately turned out to be right.
Madame Web is currently playing in theaters.
