Madame Web star Sydney Sweeney offered a shocking, but great, response to her superhero movie underperforming at the global box office. Sweeney made her superhero debut in Sony Pictures' Madame Web in 2024 next to Dakota Johnson and a star-studded cast, but even her presence could not save the film from becoming one of 2024's biggest flops.
Sydney Sweeney explained her reasoning behind taking the role of Julia Carpenter in 2024's Madame Web, reflecting on her experience making the movie as well. While the movie performed poorly in theaters, currently sitting with an 11% Tomatometer rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Sweeney looked to the big picture when deciding to join the cast.
Speaking with Empire Magazine, Sweeney explained how fun it was to "be a part of something that's bigger than yourself." Having recently started her own production company, she wanted to give some value to her name with a big studio movie while also wanting to make something "[her] cousins can watch:"
"It's always fun to be able to be a part of something that's bigger than yourself. I hadn't done a studio film yet, and I had started my production company [Fifty-Fifty Films]. I had some properties that I really wanted to be able to take out to studios, and I needed to be able to get my name to have more value, within a studio household. Doing a project like that really helps you on in the market. I also wanted to be able to do something that my cousins can watch. I have a bunch of little teenage cousins, and they don't really understand what I do. I thought it would be so cool to be able to do something that they'd actually think was fun and cool."
Reflecting on Madame Web becoming a box office flop, Sweeney admitted she had "a really fun time," which was the only thing that mattered to her. While she wants all of her projects to be successful, "enjoying what you do" is her main focus:
"I mean, I had a really fun time, so that is all that matters to me. I think that if you are enjoying what you do, it doesn't really matter what the outcome is, on a box-office level. Of course, you want the film to be celebrated and loved and successful, because then everyone succeeds."
Madame Web became one of the biggest superhero movie flops in history, just barely grossing over $100 million at the box office on a budget of about $80-100 million. It now sits as the second-lowest-grossing movie in Sony's Spider-Man Universe, with only Kraven the Hunter ($60 million) having grossed less.
Released in February 2024, Madame Web tells the story of Cassandra Webb, who gains the power to see into the future after falling into the water and having a near-death experience. Dakota Johnson leads the cast as Cassandra next to Sweeney (Julia Carpenter), Isabela Merced (Anya Corazón), and Celeste O'Connor (Mattie Franklin for the fourth movie in Sony's Spider-Man-adjacent franchise. Madame Web is now streaming on Netflix.
Will Sydney Sweeney Join Another Superhero Movie Post-Madame Web?
Sydney Sweeney's perspective on being in a movie like Madame Web shows how open she is to any new opportunities, which is sure to mean she would not turn down another chance to be in a superhero movie. While the chances of Sony's universe continuing are quite low, the superhero movie genre is far from dying out.
More than anything else, Sweeney is still one of the most popular actresses on the planet after her work in projects like Anyone But You, Immaculate, and Euphoria. Projects like that are sure to keep her busy, as is her aforementioned production company, but Sweeney seems to be someone willing to take on major popcorn franchises like the MCU and/or the DCU.
Due to her popularity, she has been fancast in countless roles across the comic book movie landscape, specifically for popular characters like Felicia Hardy's Black Cat from Spidey lore.
Wherever she ends up in the coming years, she will be a name to watch out for in the superhero movie world while Sony works to refocus its efforts on delivering a revamped slate of successful movies.
Richard Nebens joined The Direct in March 2020, now serving as the site's Senior Writer and also working as an assistant editor and content creator. He started his journalism career as a hobby in 2019 and is passionate about sharing news and stories from the entertainment industry, especially comic book movies, comedy, and sci-fi. Richard looks to expand his knowledge about movies and TV every day, and he is eager to stay locked into the latest releases and breaking news at every opportunity.
