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Credit: Sony PicturesThings aren’t looking too good for Sony’s next foray into the Marvel universe, as a new report suggests that its lead actress, Dakota Johnson, is unhappy with audiences’ reaction to the film, with some speculating that she went as far as to jump ship to a new talent agency as a result.
Related: “Absolutely Psychotic”, Marvel Star Shares “Blue Screen” Movie Concerns
It’s no secret that Sony’s Spider-Man Universe (SSU) doesn’t exactly have the best track record of delivering box office hits, with Venom (2018) and especially Jared Leto’s Morbius (2022) generally falling flat with audiences. Still, Sony’s corner of Marvel’s universe has proven to be successful time and time again, with the Tom-Holland Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) acting as the connective tissue between the days of Spider-Man past and present.
Now, Sony is seemingly doubling down on its efforts to expand the SSU via Madame Web (2024), which arrives in theaters next month. The superhero flick stars Dakota Johnson as Cassandra Webb, a clairvoyant who is tasked with helping three young women — played by Sydney Sweeney, Isabela Merced, and Celeste O’Connor — with unique abilities of their own after the sinister Ezekiel Sims (Tahar Rahim) enters the picture, threatening to destroy all Spider-Women to protect the future.
Check out the official trailer for Madame Web below:
Related: First ‘Madame Web’ Clip Has Fans Excited
Ahead of its release, however, the web-slinging team-up flick appears to have come under fire from its lead actress, Dakota Johnson. Per Variety, some of the actress’ recent actions have “raised industry eyebrows” after she abruptly dropped her management, WME, in favor of CAA just days after the first trailer for Madame Web dropped, suggesting that she wasn’t too happy with the less-than-positive reception to the film.
From the moment it was released, the Madame Web teaser was heavily mocked online, with many social media users poking fun at Johnson’s odd delivery of a particular line — “He was in the Amazon with my mom when she was researching spiders right before she died” — and its needlessly convoluted exposition. This seems to have rubbed Johnson the wrong way, as she took a jab at the movie during her latest hosting gig on Saturday Night Live, describing it as “like if AI generated your boyfriend’s perfect movie.”
Variety seems to be implying that the actress’ heart isn’t entirely in the comic book movie and that she’s fully fired her reps after they encouraged her to join the cast. After all, the Fifty Shades of Grey (2015) star seems to have shifted her sights to indie dramas in recent years, including Cha Cha Real Smooth (2022) and The Peanut Butter Falcon (2021) — basically, the opposite of a massive superhero franchise. Still, there’s no official explanation as to why Johnson jumped ship to CAA; it’s only speculation.
There’s also the off-chance that Johnson only signed onto Madame Web under the pretense that she would be joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), baiting her to take on the role only to stick her with Sony. And as fans well know, there have been many attempts to connect the SSU and MCU over the years, only for most of them to go, well, nowhere. Plus, even if Madame Web connects the live-action Spider-Man “Multiverse,” Johnson might not be too eager to reprise the role after she called the blue screen filming process “absolutely psychotic.
With the premiere of Madame Web fast approaching, it’ll be interesting to see how Dakota Johnson and the rest of the cast handle the film’s marketing campaign, which is sure to be extensive. This update doesn’t exactly paint the upcoming action flick in a positive light, but who knows? Maybe it’ll manage to impress even the most devout SSU naysayers — or make for a fun time at the movies, at the very least.
Madame Web swings into theaters on February 14, 2024.
Do you have high hopes for Madame Web? Let us know in the comments below!