Dakota Johnson Reveals She Doesn’t Even Remember Making ‘Madame Web’
Some movies fade quietly from an actor’s résumé over time, but for Dakota Johnson, one particular film keeps resurfacing as an ongoing punchline she seems more than happy to lean into. Years after its rocky release, the joke apparently hasn’t gotten old.
Johnson is currently deep into another press run, this time promoting her upcoming horror film ‘Verity’ alongside Anne Hathaway, and interviewers just can’t seem to resist bringing up her infamous superhero misstep from a couple of years back.
When the subject came up again recently, Johnson didn’t offer any new insight or reflection. Instead, she simply said she doesn’t remember that movie at all, a comment that quickly circulated online and reignited conversation about her already legendary history of deadpan non-answers regarding ‘Madame Web.’
That response fits squarely within a pattern Johnson has maintained since the film’s original 2024 release. During its initial press tour, she famously admitted during an appearance on Magic FM that she hadn’t actually seen the movie, saying she didn’t know when she would, adding a noncommittal “someday” before explaining that skipping her own films is a form of self-care that helps her avoid an existential crisis.
She later expanded on that sentiment in an interview with Bustle, reflecting more seriously on the experience of making the film. “It was definitely an experience for me to make that movie,” she said. “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.”
Johnson also addressed the industry pressures that shaped the final product, noting that projects can shift dramatically between when an actor signs on and when filming actually wraps. She acknowledged in that same conversation that the criticism directed at the film wasn’t exactly a surprise to her, saying she understood why audiences reacted the way they did.
‘Madame Web’ told the story of Cassandra Webb, a New York paramedic who develops psychic abilities and uses them to protect three young women from a dangerous villain played by Tahar Rahim. The film also starred Sydney Sweeney, Isabela Merced, and Celeste O’Connor, with S.J. Clarkson directing.
Despite its starry cast, the film opened to just $26.2 million over its six-day holiday weekend, marking the lowest debut of any movie in Sony’s Spider-Man universe and one of the weakest openings for any film based on a Marvel Comics character. It currently sits at a rough 13% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, with reviews ranging from unkind to outright brutal.
What made the film’s rollout memorable wasn’t the box office numbers, though, but Johnson’s now-iconic press tour, which The Hollywood Reporter described as spiraling into “a tangled web of conspiracy theories and willingly misconstrued quotes.” Her deadpan responses, off-the-cuff jokes, and general air of detachment turned her into an unlikely internet folk hero throughout the film’s rollout.
Her web connects them all. 🕸 #MadameWeb is coming soon exclusively to movie theaters. pic.twitter.com/OzC1bf00ur
— Sony Pictures (@SonyPictures) November 15, 2023
Even her ‘Madame Web’ co-star Sydney Sweeney got in on the running joke at the time, quipping during a ‘Saturday Night Live’ monologue that audiences had seen her in other projects but “definitely did not see me in Madame Web.”
Given how much comedic mileage Johnson has gotten from distancing herself from the film over the years, her latest comment feels less like an actual memory lapse and more like a continuation of the bit that made her press tour so beloved in the first place. Whether she genuinely forgot the movie or is simply keeping the joke alive, fans seem thrilled either way.
With ‘Verity’ set to hit theaters October 2, it’s a safe bet Johnson will bring that same unfiltered energy to promoting her next project, whether or not ‘Madame Web’ comes up again along the way.
What do you think of Dakota Johnson saying she doesn’t even remember making ‘Madame Web’?
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