Summary
Sony’sMadame Webdid not perform well at the box office. However, it wasn’t an issue for one of its stars — Sydney Sweeney.
The 2024 superhero movie directed by S.J. Clarkson, starring Dakota Johnson, Isabela Merced, Celeste O’Connor, and Sweeney, was both a critical and commercial disappointment.Sonyaimed to expand itsSpider-ManUniverse by focusing on Cassandra Webb, a paramedic and mutant with psychic abilities. She can see the future and change it. While the plot was promising, it did not resonate with the audience. Sweeney was asked about her reaction a year after the flopped superhero movie was released.
In an interview with Empire Magazine, Sweeney was asked aboutMadame Web’s performance at the box office. The film was considered one of the biggest flops in 2024. She admitted that she wanted all her projects to do well because, in that way, everyone involved in the production wins. However, she wasn’t bothered byMadame Web’s performance because she enjoyed it when they filmed the project, and that was what mattered to her. TheAnyone But Youstar said:
I mean, I had a really fun time, so that is all that matters to me. I think that if you are enjoying what you do, it doesn’t really matter what the outcome is, on a box-office level.
In the film, Sweeney portrays Julia Carpenter, known as Spider-Woman in Marvel Comics. In the movie, she sports a black-and-white Spider-Woman suit reminiscent of her comic book appearance. However, the film made a notable change in her costume by exposing her eyes in the mask, a huge departure from her comic look, where her eyes are fully covered. Sweeney was initially enthusiastic about her role in the movie. She toldVarietyin an interview in 2023 that she “was freaking out” when she was cast opposite Johnson in the film. To help her prepare for her role, she reportedly went to a comic store and “I bought every comic that mentioned my character.” She also said that the film would be different from other superhero flicks before it. When asked if she was interested in joining theMarvel Cinematic Universewith a potential standalone Spider-Woman movie, she reportedly gave a “coy yes.” However, from the look of it, it’s unlikely there will be anotherMadame Webmovie due to its poor performance, much less for Sweeney to reprise her role in an MCU film.
Madame Webwas promising, but much like Sony’s other attempts to expand theSpider-ManUniverse, it didn’t deliver. Sony’sMorbius(2022) andKraven the Hunter(2024) underperformed at the box office, too. The only franchise that performed well was Tom Hardy’sVenom(2018),which spawned two sequels –Venom: Let There Be Carnage(2021) andVenom: The Last Dance(2024). However, despite Venom’s commercial success, critics were not very happy with it. According to critics,Venomwasn’t faithful to the source material.
Madame Web’s poor performance could be attributed to its convoluted plot and underdeveloped characters. Some also felt that the promotional materials were not enticing enough to stir excitement or convey the movie’s premise, making it uninteresting. However, many still want to see Sweeney in another superhero movie. Some suggestedshe could play Felicia Hardy, aka Black Cat, in the MCU. Artist Boss Logic shared fan art featuring Sweeney in a black bodysuit with fur trim and a matching black domino mask as Black Cat, and many approved of it. So, while it’s unlikely for Sweeney to play Julia Carpenter in the MCU, she might be featured as Black Cat if Marvel Studios agrees with the fan casting.
