Sony's Madame Web turned out to be one of the biggest disappointments in comic book movie history. Despite starring two of the leading actresses of the generation, Dakota Johnson and Sydney Sweeney, the 2024 release failed to draw audiences. Its box office earnings barely scraped past $100 million, and it scored a dismal 11% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, marking a new low for superhero movies in over two decades. Therefore, when it was brought to Netflix US, no one really expected much for its streaming debut either. 

It seems, though, fans may have underestimated the movie a bit. Despite tanking at the box office and getting brutally slammed by critics, it has found a new life on Netflix. Within just a day of its arrival on the streaming platform, Madame Web surged to the top of Wednesday's Netflix Top 10 Movies list. The film's streaming release is part of the ongoing partnership between Netflix and Sony and Disney, which also saw How I Met Your Mother returning to Netflix for 18 months. 

Looking back on the criticism, Dakota Johnson told Bustle in March, "Unfortunately, I'm not surprised that this has gone down the way it has”. Meanwhile, Sydney Sweeney admitted in an interview with GQ UK that taking on the role was a “strategic business decision” that ultimately worked out for her. According to Sweeney, Madame Web opened doors for her at Sony, leading to her starring in the highly successful romantic comedy Anyone but You. 

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Fans, however, had mixed reactions about Madame Web finding success on Netflix US. 

Sure, Madame Web may not have lived up to the hype, but there are a few reasons why Sony's Marvel flick might be worth a watch now that it is on streaming. For one, all one needs to know about Cassandra Webb and her story has been tightly packed into a tight runtime of under two hours. Plus, it hinted at how interesting The Sinister Six movie could be when it comes to life. Perhaps that is why, despite all the hate it got, it has managed to find a few fans.

Meanwhile, there were fans who could not help but feel a bit weird enjoying a movie that was so widely despised. 

There were, however, fans who simply could not wrap their heads around why people were tuning in to watch Madame Web. 

If the movie did great business and still received abysmal reviews, Sony would have probably greenlit a sequel for Madame Web. But since there is no hope for the movie's success, Sony would not want to gamble on doubling down on it just to expand a universe. Nonetheless, considering its Netflix run, and the shift in fans’ perception, one can hope for the studio to have a change of heart. 

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What do you think about Madame Web's performance on Netflix? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!