MARVEL MARATHON DEEP DIVE
MADAME
WEB
Madame Web reached US cinemas on 14 February 2024 with S. J. Clarkson directing Dakota Johnson as Cassandra Webb, a New York paramedic who develops clairvoyant powers. It is set in 2003 and runs 116 minutes.
SONY’S FIRST FEMALE-LED MARVEL FILM
HOW MADAME WEB REACHED THE SCREEN
Sony hired Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless in September 2019 to write a Madame Web script and hired S. J. Clarkson in May 2020 to develop and direct it, in her feature film debut. Dakota Johnson was in talks to star by early February 2022, Sydney Sweeney joined in March 2022, and Clarkson and Claire Parker received screenplay credit alongside Sazama and Sharpless.
Principal photography began on 11 July 2022 in the Financial District of Boston under the working title Claire and wrapped in mid-January 2023, with reshoots by January 2024. The film is set in 2003, and Johan Söderqvist composed the score. Sony reported a final budget of $80 million, though some reports suggested the cost could have been in the low $100 million range.
“started out as something and turned into something else.”
Dakota Johnson on the film
A PARAMEDIC AND THREE TEENAGERS
WHO IS IN THE CAST
Dakota Johnson plays Cassie Webb, with Sydney Sweeney as Julia Cornwall, Isabela Merced as Anya Corazón, Celeste O’Connor as Mattie Franklin, Tahar Rahim as Ezekiel Sims, Mike Epps as O’Neil, Emma Roberts as Mary Parker, Adam Scott as Ben Parker and Kerry Bishé as Constance Webb.
A LOW OPENING AND A VIRAL LINE
HOW THE FILM WAS RELEASED AND WHAT IT EARNED
The film premiered at the Regency Village Theatre in Westwood on 12 February 2024 and opened in the US on 14 February, after earlier dates in July and October 2023. It opened to $15,335,860 in the US and went on to earn $43,817,106 there and $100,498,764 worldwide. Its six-day opening came to $25.8 million, and the second weekend fell 61%.
A trailer line, “He was in the Amazon with my mom when she was researching spiders right before she died,” received particular mockery and spawned several memes, though the line was not in the final cut. Clarkson chose not to include a post-credits scene because she felt she had said everything needed.
THE REWATCH
A 10% CRITICS SCORE AND THREE RAZZIES
Rotten Tomatoes lists a 10% critics’ score from 270 reviews and a 53% audience score. Metacritic gives it 26 from 51 critics and a user score of 2.9, and audiences polled by CinemaScore gave it a C+. Charles Pulliam-Moore of The Verge said it is “surprisingly committed to transporting you back to 2003,” while Kevin Maher of The Times gave one star and cited “sheer mind-boggling awfulness.”
The film won three Golden Raspberry Awards, for worst picture, worst actress and worst screenplay, and an ASCAP Award for top box-office film for its composers.
In the Marvel Marathon it is catalogued as Spider-Verse and sits in the Marvel movies in release order guide between The Marvels and Deadpool & Wolverine. In the Spider-Man movies in order guide it comes between Morbius and Venom: The Last Dance. It is not in the MCU guides.
QUICK ANSWERS
MADAME WEB WATCH QUESTIONS
Do I need to watch other Spider-Man films first?
No. It is set in 2003 and stands on its own, though Ben and Mary Parker are among its characters.
How long is Madame Web?
116 minutes.
Is there a post-credits scene?
No. Clarkson opted to avoid one because she felt she had said everything needed.
Which Marvel Marathon guides include Madame Web?
It appears in the Marvel movies in release order and Spider-Man movies in order guides. It is not in the MCU guides.
EDITORIAL NOTES
SOURCES AND UPDATES
Development, production, release, box-office and reception details are checked against a film reference, box-office data and aggregator scores, cited individually below.