Sydney Sweeney Doesn’t Care About Madame Web At All
Sydney Sweeney, who recently appeared in Madame Web, has responded to the unfavorable reception of the film with indifference. The movie grossed a disappointing $42 million at the domestic box office, falling short of the usual earnings of superhero movies. Not at all phased, the actress says she was simply “along for the ride.”
Sydney Sweeney Doesn’t Care That Everyone Hates The Film
Despite the widespread mockery, Sydney Sweeney demonstrated unwavering professionalism in her response to the film’s performance. She remained unperturbed, telling the Los Angeles Times, “I was just hired as an actress in it, so I was just along for the ride for whatever was going to happen.”
Not only did Madame Web fail to meet box office expectations, but it was also subject to widespread ridicule. The film received a subpar 12 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, was the subject of a joke by Jimmy Kimmel at the Academy Awards, and was poked fun of by Sydney Sweeney herself on Saturday Night Live.
The Movie Deviates From Its Comic Book Origin
The film Madame Web introduces us to Cassandra “Cassie” Webb, played by Dakota Johnson, a paramedic from Manhattan whose life takes a dramatic turn post an accident, leading her to acquire psychic abilities. Julia Cornwall, Sydney Sweeney’s character, is a teenager pegged to be a future Spider-Woman whom Cassie tries to protect.
Unlike the traditional portrayal of the Madame Web character as a blind, paralyzed elderly woman as seen in The Amazing Spider-Man #210 published in November 1980, this film adaptation presents a more vibrant version of Cassie, a clairvoyant in her 30s learning to harness her newfound powers.
The storyline centers around her transformation into a reluctant hero, who embarks on a quest to save those she can, driven by a past failure that haunts her. Despite the star power of Sydney Sweeney and Dakota Johnson, as well as its connection to Spider-Man comics, Madame Web was not a hit.
Sony’s Spider-Man Universe
Sony’s Spider-Man Universe brings to life a collection of films and television shows surrounding iconic Spider-Man characters often portrayed by respected actors such as Sydney Sweeney, Jared Leto, Michelle Williams, and Tom Hardy.
Standalone films such as Venom, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Morbius, and Madame Web, along with upcoming projects like Kraven the Hunter, and Venom: The Last Dance all belong to this universe. A range of television series are also in development, including the highly anticipated Silk: Spider Society and an untitled Spider-Man Noir series.
Sharing The Web-Slinger With The MCU
In 2015, an initial agreement was established between Sony and Marvel Studios to introduce Spider-Man into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, a disagreement in 2019 over the financial aspects of the deal triggered the temporary removal of Spider-Man from the MCU.
Fortunately for fans, a new agreement was ultimately reached, keeping Spider-Man’s presence alive in both Sony’s Spider-Man Universe and the MCU. However, characters like Sydney Sweeney’s Julia Cornwall, Madame Web, Venom, and Morbius are only featured in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe.
Madame Web Isn’t The Only Spider-Man Bomb From Sony
Sony’s Spider-Man Universe has had a mixed track record in terms of success. Films such as Venom and its sequel Venom: Let There Be Carnage have performed well commercially, despite receiving a mix of reviews from critics. Meanwhile, Morbius, like Sydney Sweeney’s Madame Web, underperformed and was largely panned by fans and critics.
The mixed results of Sony’s Spider-man Universe films may explain Sydney Sweeney’s ambivalence in signing on for Madame Web. As Sony continues to develop new projects and explore various Spider-Man comic characters, the future of the universe remains intriguing and somewhat undefined.
Source: Los Angeles Times
