The superhero movie industry has been in a state of disarray for years now, and Sony’s newest mess, “Madame Web”, is no exception. An overwhelming presence of mass production has been seen in the Marvel world since the beginning of phase four but “Madame Web” takes it to an entirely new level. Which raises the question: how exactly do movies like this impact the industry they’re a part of?
While it’s easy to dismiss “Madame Web” as another mess likened to “Morbius” or “Venom 2”, it’s actually much more; it’s a cry for help from a dying industry. Superhero movies will undoubtedly always generate a profit, but their death lies within the storymaking and love once found in the films themselves. “Madame Web” shows audiences the possible futures of hero films and, much like the visions Dakota Johnson’s character sees within the movie, they aren’t pretty.
The viral AMC ad starring Nicole Kidman puts it best, “We come to this place [the theater]… for magic,” — but it seems that’s no longer the case. Superhero stunts such as battles with Thanos or complex villains like Ultron are a thing of the past. When film industry giants like Sony are unable to produce a halfway intelligible project with a budget of $80 million then it raises very little hope for superhero fanatics in the future.
If only Madame Web had been able to see that one coming.
The movie’s disastrous web of nonsensical lines, AI-like performances, and a villain picked straight from the bargain bin is becoming the norm for the majority of films. The decline of quality has been a slow process but “Madame Web” has hit the very depths. Poorly produced, directed, and edited, it’s the exact definition of mass production. Meaning it’s likely production studios will exploit this blueprint in order to get the most bang for their buck.
Producers are now able to replace genuine writing with AI knock offs, the sad fact being that I am still unable to tell which of the two produced “Madame Web”.
And it seems that not even Sydney Sweeney’s budget portrayal of Spider-Woman can save the direction superhero films are going. While it’s true that “Madame Web” was so absolutely horrific that I nearly walked out of the theater, what was even worse than the headache I had by the end of the movie was knowing that I would most likely feel this way towards every new superpower-centered release.
“Madame Web” isn’t just “Razzies” bait; it’s signaling the end of thoughtful superhero films.
