Sony’s latest Marvel outing Madame Web is shaping up to be a box office disappointment, continuing the studio’s checkered track record with its Marvel properties. Over its opening Presidents’ Day weekend, Madame Web took in a paltry $25.8 million domestically, trailing expectations.
The tepid ticket sales mark a new low for a Sony Marvel release. Even the widely-panned Morbius managed a stronger $39 million domestic debut weekend back in 2022. Industry projections had Madame Web opening to around $40 million, but poor reviews and negative word-of-mouth kept audiences away. Instead, the Bob Marley biopic One Love topped the charts with $27.7 million.
With a production budget of $80 million, Madame Web faces a steep climb to profitability. Its worldwide total stands at just $25.7 million after 10 days, far short of recouping costs. The film’s dismal 13% Rotten Tomatoes score suggests minimal staying power.
Madame Web’s lackluster performance continues Sony’s checkered Marvel track record. Outside collaboration with Marvel Studios on the Spider-Man films, Sony has struggled to launch fan-embraced franchises from the Marvel properties it holds film rights to. The studio is 0 for 3 so far with Venom, Morbius, and now Madame Web.
Marvel fans seem to have little appetite for Sony’s disconnected Marvel universe. Madame Web was intended to launch a new shared universe spinning out of standalone villain films. But shoddy execution and unclear connections to a wider mythology have hampered efforts.
Sony isn’t giving up, with a Kraven the Hunter film slated for 2023. But Madame Web’s box office belly flop is a stark warning that Sony must dramatically raise quality and sharpen creative focus if it hopes to challenge the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s dominance. Otherwise, its Marvel holdings risk becoming more liability than asset.
