Dakota Johnson: 'Madame Web Failure Not My Fault,' Blames Non-Creative Decision Makers

Madame Web has cemented its place as one of the most underwhelming superhero films in recent memory, crashing at the box office and drawing widespread criticism from both audiences and critics. Upon release, it broke records as the worst opening for a Sony Spider-Man film and became the first Marvel-related movie since Fox’s Fantastic Four reboot to miss the top spot at the box office.

Even Hideo Kojima, the acclaimed creator of Metal Gear Solid and Death Stranding, offered little more than a terse six-word review, underscoring the film’s lack of impact. IGN provided a slightly more detailed critique, blaming the movie’s downfall on an "overcrowded" narrative packed with "extraneous characters, basic archetypes, and generic dialogue."

In the aftermath—and following the similarly disappointing performance of Kraven the Hunter—reports emerged that Sony has effectively shelved its shared Spider-Man Universe, shifting focus to next year’s highly anticipated Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

Sydney Sweeney, who played Julia Cornwall (aka Spider-Woman), distanced herself from the project entirely, describing her involvement as simply being "along for the ride." During a Saturday Night Live monologue, she highlighted her diverse acting portfolio and made it clear she wanted no credit for her role, quipping, "You definitely did not see me in Madame Web."

Now, Dakota Johnson, who headlined the film in the titular role, has opened up about the experience, offering candid insight into the behind-the-scenes turmoil that plagued the production.

How to Watch Sony's Spider-Man Universe in Chronological Order

View 10 ImagesIn an interview with the Los Angeles Times during the promotional tour for her new rom-com Materialists, Johnson stated bluntly: “It wasn’t my fault.”

She went on to critique the modern studio system, saying, “There’s this thing that happens now where a lot of creative decisions are made by committee—or by people who don’t have a creative bone in their body. And it’s really hard to make art that way. Or to make something entertaining that way. I think unfortunately with Madame Web, it started out as something and turned into something else. And I was just sort of along for the ride at that point. But that happens. Bigger-budget movies fail all the time.”

Dakota Johnson had strong words on the failure of Madame Web. Photo by Hector Vivas/Getty Images.

These remarks echo her earlier comments to Bustle, where she emphasized that “You cannot make art based on numbers and algorithms. My feeling has been for a long time that audiences are extremely smart, and executives have started to believe that they’re not. Audiences will always be able to sniff out bulls**t.”

Despite the backlash, Johnson remains reflective rather than resentful. "I don’t have a Band-Aid over it," she added. "There’s no part of me that’s like, 'Oh, I’ll never do that again' to anything. I’ve done even tiny movies that didn’t do well. Who cares?"

Sony's Spider-Man Universe currently spans six films: Venom, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Morbius, Madame Web, Venom: The Last Dance, and Kraven the Hunter. In April, Tom Hardy, star of the Venom series, discussed the failed attempt to bring Venom and Spider-Man together on screen.

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