Dakota Johnson has announced that she is bidding farewell to superhero films after the disappointment of “Madame Web.” The film, released in February 2024, was a critical and commercial failure, and Johnson has said that she is no longer interested in appearing in superhero films.
Dakota Johnson says she will never do a movie like ‘Madame Web’ again:
“I probably will never do anything like it again because I don’t make sense in that world” PIC.TWITTER.COM/C4UMQKTFT9
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) MARCH 5, 2024
In a recent interview, Johnson said she was “disappointed” with how “Madame Web” turned out. She said that she felt the film was “rushed” and that the script was “not very good.” She also said she did not enjoy working with the director, S.J. Clarkson.
“Madame Web” was critically and commercially unsuccessful, with a 12% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a worldwide gross of just $91 million, against an estimated production budget of $80 million. In an interview with Bustle, Johnson admitted,
“I probably will never do anything like it again because I don’t make sense in that world. And I know that now.”
She also mentioned that sometimes, in the film industry, a project can evolve into something completely different during its production.
Johnson expressed her understanding of the film’s hostile reception, stating,
“Of course, it’s not nice to be a part of something that’s ripped to shreds, but I can’t say that I don’t understand.”.
She also voiced her concern about the increasing influence of committees and algorithms in filmmaking, emphasizing that
“Art does not do well when it’s made by committee” and “you cannot make art based on numbers and algorithms.”.
Johnson’s ears buzzed with praise and scorn as the digital storm raged. The Chicago Sun-Times critic Richard Roeper minced no words: “One of the worst comic book movies I’ve ever seen.” Meanwhile, Rolling Stone’s David Fear likened it to “The Cats: The Movie of superhero movies.” Ouch.
But Johnson, ever the resilient artist, didn’t shy away. “I can’t say I don’t understand,” she mused. “It was a real learning experience, and of course, it’s not nice to be a part of something ripped to shreds, but I can’t say I don’t understand.”
Madame Web was meant to launch a franchise—a constellation of interconnected tales. Yet, like a delicate spider’s silk, it snapped under scrutiny. Sony executives, once hopeful, now wore a cloak of gloom. But hope springs eternal. Their next venture, Kraven the Hunter, awaited its turn in the spotlight.
As for Dakota Johnson, she dusts off the webs and steps into new shoes. Daddio, a two-person drama alongside Sean Penn, beckons. And beyond that, a romantic comedy, The Materialists, promises laughter and heart.
Despite the experience with “Madame Web,” Johnson described it as a “real learning experience” and has been candid about her thoughts on the film. This event marks another setback for the superhero genre, following disappointing reviews and audience interest in other films such as “Shazam 2”, “The Marvels,” and “The Flash.
