Emma Roberts attributes Madame Web's poor box office performance and critical reception to internet culture, which she believes made the film a target for jokes and negative reactions. Despite Roberts' enjoyment of the movie and her praise for director S.J. Clarkson, Madame Web received largely negative reviews with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 11%. The film's opening weekend grossed only $17.6 million in the U.S., making it the worst-performing Spider-Man Universe movie. Lead stars Dakota Johnson and Sydney Sweeney have also commented on the movie's reception, with Johnson noting she was not surprised and Sweeney disowning her role. Despite its failure in theaters, Madame Web appeared in Netflix's Top 10 rankings.

Why did Madame Web underperform at the box office?n

Madame Web underperformed at the box office due to a combination of factors, including a negative internet culture that turned aspects of the movie into jokes, poor critical reviews, and potentially an overcrowded script with generic dialogue. Additionally, lead actors' public disassociation from the film may have impacted audience perception.

Madame Web is part of Sony's Marvel Universe, focusing on a character tied to the Spider-Man lore. This cinematic universe includes other films like Venom and Morbius, although it has struggled to achieve the same level of success as Marvel Studios' projects. The character Madame Web, traditionally depicted as an older woman with psychic abilities, had a modern reinterpretation in this film, which may have contributed to fan dissatisfaction.