Dakota Johnson defends herself against 'Madame Web' backlash ahead of 'The Materialists' release; says, "It wasn't my fault.."
Naturally, the finger-pointing began when Madame Web crashed and burned.
Dakota Johnson
is stating clearly now that she is not the one at fault.
New Film, Old Baggage
Dakota Johnson is once again making headlines as 'The Materialists' gets ready for release this month, but not just because of her on-screen chemistry with
Chris Evans
and internet sensation
Pedro Pascal
.
A less flattering discussion about Dakota Johnson's box office performance has been rekindled by the excitement surrounding her most recent project.
Backlash from a Superhero Misstep
Although many people are still thinking about Spider-Man spinoff 'Madame Web,' one of 2024's most infamous failures, Johnson has some insightful observations about why it didn't work out, even though the upcoming romantic comedy might finally give her a commercial victory.
"It wasn't my fault," Johnson said in a recent interview with the Los Angeles Times, laughing as she addressed the elephant in the room. The actor shifts the blame from herself to the larger industry dynamics that she believes doomed Madame Web from the beginning, and that line alone has caused a media frenzy.
'There's this thing that happens now where a lot of creative decisions are made by committee,' she explained during an interview with Bustle.
'Or made by people who don't have a creative bone in their body. And it's really hard to make art that way. Or to make something entertaining that way,' Johnson further reflected as she continued, 'And I think, unfortunately, with Madame Web, it started out as something and turned into something else. And I was just sort of along for the ride at that point. But that happens. Bigger-budget movies fail all the time.'
'Madame Web'
Johnson played Cassandra Webb in Madame Web, a film about a paramedic in New York City who discovers she can see into the future and has to defend three teenage girls who will become Spider-Women from a villainous Ezekiel Sims.
The film failed both critically and commercially, despite having a promising premise and a cast that included big-name actors. In early 2025, it won three Golden Raspberry (Razzie) Awards, including Worst Actress, Worst Screenplay, and Worst Picture for Johnson herself.
This is a trifecta that no actor can hope to achieve.
Dakota's Moving On Without Regrets
Johnson, however, shrugged off the criticism during an interview with the Los Angeles Times by saying, "I don't have a Band-Aid over it." "There isn't a part of me that says, 'Oh, I'll never do that again.'" I've done tiny movies that didn't do well. Who cares?"
Dakota Johnson's Materialists will premiere in U.S. theaters on June 13, 2025.
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