‘Madame Web’: Dakota Johnson Says The Script Had “Drastic Changes” Before Production Began

Today is Valentine’s Day, and that means only one thing— “Madame Web” is in theaters. And as the next several days play out, Sony is going to look at a couple of things. First, the box office, obviously. The forecast isn’t great on that one. But secondly, you have to imagine the people at Sony will be thinking about 15%. That’s the number “Morbius” reached on Rotten Tomatoes, turning the film into the laughing stock of the superhero film world for a full year. Right now, “Madame Web” is at 18%, but typically, these review numbers will change several points during the time of release. So, will “Madame Web” descend to “Morbius” depths? And if it does, will someone like Dakota Johnson start thinking about all the “drastic changes” that were made to the script from the time she signed on to now? 

READ MORE: ‘Madame Web’ Review: Dakota Johnson Can’t Save This Forgettable ‘Spider’ Money Grab

That’s right, according to the “Madame Web” star, Dakota Johnson, the script for her superhero film changed drastically over the course of development (via The Wrap). Obviously, that’s not something that is completely out of the ordinary when it comes to superhero films. Hell, Marvel Studios is notorious for beginning production on something without a finished script, figuring it out as they go. But when a film is released and everyone seemingly agrees that it’s a big ol’ turd, those changes can be looked at in a new light. What if they went with the original ideas? 

“There were drastic changes,” Johnson said. “And I can’t even tell you what they were.”

It’s difficult to convey the tone of that statement with the written word, but Johnson said the drastic changes comment with a bit of a smile on her face. Now, we all know Johnson is famous for her dry sense of humor and this idea that she doesn’t really care about towing the company line. So, you can take this as her hinting that she’s not completely happy with all of the changes, or it might just be her teasing that things were different and maybe there’s something about the changes that would rile up fans. 

READ MORE: Dakota Johnson Talks How “F*cking Bleak” & ” Disheartening” It Is That “Afraid” Streamers Continue To Make “Safe” & “Boring” Content

Regardless, it seems as if “Madame Web” is going to be a really big disappointment for the folks at Sony. And when you have something attached to the “Spider-Man” universe, with a massive budget, and a bunch of A-list stars, then you better believe people are going to dissect what went wrong. Perhaps all that tinkering with the script will be the thing that set this whole situation in motion. 

“Madame Web” is in theaters now.