Madame Web Star Dakota Johnson Has the Perfect Statement About Her Superhero Movie Career

Madame Web star Dakota Johnson pokes fun at her short-lived superhero movie career with the perfect joke. During an appearance on the series Hot Ones to promote her new film Materialists, Johnson noted how host Sean Evans seemed to be struggling with the intensity of the various wing sauces the two were sampling. Evans admitted he was, remarking that “I’m no superhero” as he shared the experience with Johnson, an obvious reference to the actress’ headlining role in Madame Web. Johnson then made it clear that she doesn’t believe she’s earned that status either despite her past with Sony’s Spider-Man Universe.

“I am also not a superhero,” Johnson cracked. “Tried. Failed.”

Madame Web was one of the more notorious releases of last year. The Marvel Comics adaptation bombed at the box office, grossing only $100.4 million worldwide. Critically panned, the film “won” Worst Picture at the Razzies, beating out the likes of Megalopolis, Borderlands, and Joker: Folie à Deux for the honor. Madame Web was one of the last entries in the Sony’s Spider-Man Universe franchise, which has been put on hold.

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In the wake of Madame Web failing, Johnson recalled her experience making the film, detailing how messy a studio blockbuster can get behind the scenes with so many decision makers weighing in. Though Madame Web didn’t turn out the way Johnson expected, she would still be open to taking on another franchise role if the right opportunity presented itself.

It’s nice to see the cast of Madame Web has been able to take the movie’s performance in stride. Sydney Sweeney put a positive spin on things by reflecting on the fun she had on set with her co-stars and how the project became an avenue for her to develop a professional relationship with Sony. The film’s stars understand that not every project is going to succeed, which is a necessary perspective when working in Hollywood. That state of mind should benefit them moving forward, as they aren’t letting themselves get too down by one would-be franchise starter not working out. For her part, Johnson has rebounded nicely; Materialists earned positive reviews, with many critics citing the writing and acting as its highlights.

It’ll be interesting to see if Johnson ever tries her hand at another comic book adaptation down the line or if she opts to keep starring in smaller, more filmmaker-driven projects like Materialists. Based on her comments now, it seems like she’s content with Madame Web being a one-and-done foray into the superhero realm, but perhaps the right role will come around at some point in the future. James Gunn is trying to give creatives as much leeway as possible as he puts together the DC Universe, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe is no stranger to giving directors creative freedom as well. So maybe Johnson would have better luck collaborating with Gunn or Kevin Feige. There’d still be a lot of moving pieces on a studio blockbuster, of course, but the process might be smoother.