Madame Web is widely regarded as one of the most catastrophic superhero films ever made, bombing at the box office amid overwhelmingly negative reviews. Its release marked the worst opening in Sony's Spider-Man film history and was the first Marvel movie since Fox's Fantastic Four reboot to miss the top spot on its debut weekend.

Even celebrated game director Hideo Kojima, creator of Metal Gear Solid and Death Stranding, could only sum up his thoughts in a terse six-word review. IGN offered slightly more detail, criticizing the film's "overcrowded" plot weighed down by unnecessary characters, shallow archetypes, and uninspired dialogue.

Following this failure and the even more disappointing Kraven the Hunter, Sony appears to have shifted focus away from its Spider-Man universe, turning its attention to next year's highly anticipated Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

So where did Madame Web go so wrong? The post-mortem has been extensive. Emma Roberts, who portrayed Mary Parker, suggested the film's critical and commercial failure stemmed from internet culture turning everything into a punchline. One trailer line became a viral joke, despite being cut from the final film.

Sydney Sweeney, who played Julia Cornwall (Spider-Woman), admitted she was just "along for the ride." During a Saturday Night Live monologue, she highlighted her other acting credits while completely distancing herself from her superhero role, stating: "You definitely did not see me in Madame Web."

Now, lead actress Dakota Johnson has elaborated on her experience with Madame Web, offering sharp critiques that point to deeper production problems.

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In an interview with the Los Angeles Times while promoting her romantic comedy Materialists, Johnson addressed the film's failure bluntly: "It wasn't my fault."

"There's a growing trend where creative choices are made by committee," she explained, "or by people with no creative instincts. That environment makes it incredibly difficult to produce genuine art or compelling entertainment. With Madame Web, the project evolved into something completely different from its original vision, and I found myself just going along with the changes. But let's be honest—big-budget films fail constantly."

These remarks align with Johnson's earlier comments to Bustle, where she stated: "Art cannot be created by following algorithms and data. I've always believed audiences are perceptive, while studio executives increasingly underestimate them. People can always sense when something isn't authentic."

Ultimately, Johnson seems to have made peace with the Madame Web experience. "I'm not dwelling on it," she added. "I won't say 'I'll never do that again' because I've been in smaller films that also underperformed. At the end of the day, does it really matter?"

Sony's Spider-Man universe currently comprises six films: Venom, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Morbius, Madame Web, Venom: The Last Dance, and Kraven the Hunter. In April, Venom star Tom Hardy discussed the abandoned plans for a Venom and Spider-Man crossover project.

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