Sony’s ambitious plans for a new movie series have come undone by the failure of ‘Madame Web,’ a Spider-Man spinoff, in what is turning out to be a significant setback for the studio. The film’s release was met with concerning indicators from the onset, including tepid trailer reception and lackluster advance ticket sales. The situation worsened when critic reviews surfaced, revealing a devastatingly low Rotten Tomatoes average score of 13 percent, a nadir not seen in the superhero genre for nearly a decade. This led to a visible decline in advance ticket sales, with a number of advance ticket holders even opting for refunds.
Madame Web experienced one of the worst openings for a Marvel film, with a mere $26.2 million domestic box office take in the first six days and $25.7 million internationally across 61 markets. This lukewarm reception was further echoed by its CinemaScore grade of C+, exceptionally low for a film in the superhero category. The failure of Madame Web not only impacts this particular release but also jeopardizes Sony’s aspirations for a new franchise centered around Dakota Johnson’s character, which was intended to introduce a new team of Spider-Women.
This places Sony in a spot similar to other giants in the industry, such as DC and Marvel, prompting a reevaluation of their approach to superhero cinema. Despite previous attempts with movies like ‘Morbius,’ which also received poor critical reception yet managed a global box office of $170 million, ‘Madame Web’ offers no such consolation. The film’s underperformance is particularly alarming in the context of a broader trend of declining interest in superhero films, with many recent releases failing to meet expectations.
As Sony navigates the failure of Madame Web, the future of its superhero projects, including the anticipated ‘Kraven’ and other titles, remains uncertain. The studio, under the leadership of Tom Rothman, has seen recent successes with other properties like the Spider-Verse series and ‘Venom’.
