The Sony Spider-Man spinoff Madame Web was met with harsh reviews and unfavorable trailer expectations. The movie had one of the worst openings for a Marvel character movie in Hollywood history, with the lowest Rotten Tomatoes score for a big superhero movie in over 10 years. In the first six days of release in North America, the domestic box office only made $26.2 million.
Like DC and Marvel, Sony must reconsider how it approaches comic book films. Sony had been keen to start a new series centered around actress Dakota Johnson, but now that Madame Web has failed, it’s in jeopardy.
Three new supporting characters were added in the movie, although attempts to unite the Spider-Women under the leadership of Dakota Johnson’s Cassie Webb have been shelved.
Except for Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, live-action comic book films did not fare well at the box office last year. Therefore, Madame Web represents a substantial addition to the superhero genre. This tendency impacts Marvel, DC, and Sony as they introduce new brands during the present difficulties.
Sony is willing to take chances and go for big box office hits, which may alter the story if the next Spider-Man movie, Kraven, becomes a huge hit. Still, it’s too soon to declare with certainty what will happen, and the mood at the Sony lot right now is gloomy.
