Earlier today, we brought you a roundup of Madame Web reviews and, in case this morning's social media reactions didn't make it obvious, the response has not been good.
While it sounds like there are elements of the movie which do work, the majority seem to agree that this is another Marvel movie from Sony Pictures which feels outdated and a step back for a genre which is already battling accusations of "superhero fatigue."
Starting 2024 off with a comic book adaptation that's likely to be another critical and commercial disaster will do neither Marvel nor DC any favours, and while it's still too soon to talk box office, a Rotten Tomatoes score has been generated which is far from good.
With a total of 31 reviews counted, Madame Web currently has a Rotten score of 23%.
Dozens more will be counted in the days ahead, but it will take a miracle to turn things around at this stage. Venom received 30% back in 2018, with the sequel - Venom: Let There Be Carnage - improving on that with a so-so 57%. As for Morbius, that's way behind with 15%.
Madame Web will want to avoid a number as bad as that, but anything in the 20s is not good and puts this latest Sony/Marvel movie in the same ballpark as some of the worst efforts we've seen in theaters. For whatever reason, the studio can't capture the same magic with these live-action projects as what we've seen from the animated Spider-Verse movies. Moving forward, something needs to change!
You can check out this disappointing Tomatometer reveal below.
Meanwhile, in another universe...In a switch from the typical genre, Madame Web tells the standalone origin story of one of Marvel publishing's most enigmatic heroines.
The suspense-driven thriller stars Dakota Johnson as Cassandra Webb, a paramedic in Manhattan who may have clairvoyant abilities. Forced to confront revelations about her past, she forges a relationship with three young women destined for powerful futures...if they can all survive a deadly present.
SJ Clarkson directs from a screenplay she wrote with Claire Parker. Morbius scribes Matt Sazama & Burk Sharpless are also expected to be credited for their work on the script, though it's currently unclear which draft they wrote. The movie's confirmed cast members include Dakota Johnson, Sydney Sweeney, Celeste O’Connor, Isabela Merced, Tahar Rahim, Mike Epps, Emma Roberts, and Adam Scott.
Madame Web arrives in theaters worldwide on February 14.