Tony Vinciquerra, CEO of Sony Pictures, recently discussed the disappointing box office performance of ‘Madame Web.’ He attributes the film's lackluster box office reception to harsh critical reviews.

Vinciquerra expressed to the Los Angeles Times that the media had unfairly targeted the film, stating, "Madame Web underperformed in the theaters because the press just crucified it. It was not a bad film, and it did great on Netflix.”

Vinciquerra also mentioned that ‘Kraven the Hunter’ faced a similar fate and suggested a media bias against such films, noting, "For some reason, the press decided that they didn’t want us making these films… and the critics just destroyed them.”

Highlighting a contrast, Vinciquerra remarked, “They also did it with ‘Venom,’ but the audience loved Venom and made Venom a massive hit. These are not terrible films. They were just destroyed by the critics in the press, for some reason.”

Concerning future Sony Spider-Man spinoffs, he proposed a strategic reassessment, given the consistent negative reviews, saying, “I do think we need to rethink it, just because it’s snake-bitten. If we put another one out, it’s going to get destroyed, no matter how good or bad it is.”

‘Madame Web,’ featuring Dakota Johnson as a psychic paramedic who can foresee events within the Spider-Man universe, opened to a global total of $51.5 million against its $80 million budget. The cast included Sydney Sweeney, Isabela Merced, Celeste O’Connor, Tahar Rahim, Mike Epps, Emma Roberts, and Adam Scott.

Sweeney humorously addressed the film's poor box office during her appearance as a guest host on Saturday Night Live. Johnson, reflecting on her role in an interview with Bustle, shared her disenchantment with superhero films, stating, “I had never done anything like it before. I probably will never do anything like it again because I don’t make sense in that world. And I know that now.”

The actress concluded, “Sometimes in this industry, you sign on to something, and it’s one thing and then as you’re making it, it becomes a completely different thing, and you’re like, ‘Wait, what?’ But it was a real learning experience, and of course it’s not nice to be a part of something that’s ripped to shreds, but I can’t say that I don’t understand.”

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