Sony Pictures’ Madame Web (2024) is making history for all the wrong reasons, with some critics going as far as to deem the blockbuster an “embarrassing mess” — so much so that it’s officially broken a 22-year-long streak for the Sony Spider-Man Universe (SSU).

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Since the release of Spider-Man (2002) starring Tobey Maguire, Sony’s longstanding collaboration with Marvel has proven to be exceptionally lucrative, especially following the $1.9 billion box office haul of the Tom Holland-fronted Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021).
Meanwhile, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) and its sequel, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023), also scored Sony some major kudos with critics, with the latter marking the third-highest opening day of all-time for an animated release with its stellar $51.75 million haul last year.

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However, any and all SSU hype seems to have gone out not with a bang but a whimper, as its latest entry, director S.J. Clarkson’s Madame Web (2024), failed to generate nearly the same level of anticipation as the MCU’s Spider-Man flicks — as reflected by its disappointing Valentine’s Day weekend gross of $25.8 million domestically, per Variety.
This officially makes Madame Web the worst six-day opening in the history of the SSU, even putting it below Jared Leto’s ill-fated Morbius (2022). In terms of critical reception, Dakota Johnson’s first outing as the titular hero is also failing to make much of a splash, currently sitting at a measly 13% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes.

So, what does this mean for the future of the SSU? Well, when stacked up to earlier releases like Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021), Madame Web shows a clear downward trend for Sony’s slate of live-action superhero flicks, with Across the Spider-Verse and the MCU Spider-Man movies being rare exceptions.
And with projects like Kraven the Hunter (2024) on the not-so-distant horizon, on top of some lengthy Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse (TBA) delays, things aren’t exactly looking promising for Sony’s corner of the Marvel universe.
Unfortunately, Madame Web seemed poised to flop from the start, making it no surprise that it’s failing to live up to expectations, both commercially and critically. Famously, Johnson’s cringe-inducing delivery of a particular line — “He was in the Amazon with my mom when she was researching spiders, right before she died” — from the first trailer became an instant meme despite not actually making the final cut of the movie.

Despite boasting heavy hitters like Dakota Johnson, Adam Scott, Emma Roberts, and Sydney Sweeney, on top of exciting Hollywood up-and-comers like Isabela Merced and Celeste O’Connor, Madame Web seemingly couldn’t look into the future far enough to prevent its downfall.
Although it’s difficult to pinpoint what exactly went wrong behind the scenes, many point to Tahar Rahim’s performance as the villainous Ezekiel Sims, which, frankly, left something to be desired. Its lackluster script and distracting dialogue also seem to be common complaints, casting doubt on the prospect of a Madame Web 2.
At the very least, disgruntled Spider-Man fans can sleep well knowing Madame Web takes place in its own standalone universe, meaning Cassie Webb isn’t going to encounter our version of Peter Parker anytime soon thanks to licensing disputes — or so we think. With the SSU and MCU gradually becoming more interconnected, Marvel might try to tie in Madame Web to the Multiverse Saga, though this seems unlikely, given the poor responses.

To make matters worse, even Johnson seemed disinterested in her leading role in Madame Web, remarking that it felt “absolutely psychotic” to film against a blue screen, in addition to other jokes about the story being “AI generated.”
Still, there’s always the possibility that films will bounce back at the box office, meaning hope persists for Madame Web, depending on how you look at it. Morbius, after all, was re-released in theaters after a passionate (and perhaps sarcastic) social media campaign, and there’s potential for Madame Web to follow suit, as it might go down as one of the most infamous “so bad it’s good” SSU endeavors of all time.
Have you gotten the chance to see Madame Web in theaters yet? If so, what did you think? Is it as bad as critics say it is? Let us know in the comments below!