Sadly,Ironhearthas been subjected to a review bombing campaign, butMCUfans are fighting back.Ironheartfinally landed on Disney+ with a three-episode premiere on June 24, with another three episodes due to round out the series one week later on July 1.
It starsDominique Thorne as Riri Williams, reprising her role in the MCU after debuting inBlack Panther: Wakanda Forever. Until theIronheartseason finale next week, Riri’s future in the MCU remains unclear, though it is likely she’ll continue to play a role, possibly asa member of the MCU’s Young Avengers.
So far, genuine sentiments surroundingIronheartare mostly positive, with critics praising it as a solid addition tothe MCU’s roster of showson Disney+. It certainly isn’t perfect, but it maintains the same quality that fans have come to expect from the MCU’s shows (Secret Invasionnotwithstanding).
TheseIronheartreviews were published afterIronheartaired. Unfortunately, they were preceded by a wave of poor reviews that were not only entirely disingenuous but also perpetuated a tragically common trend that Disney often faces.
Ironheart Was Review Bombed On Rotten Tomatoes & IMDb Before The Show’s Release
Some People Gave Ironheart A Poor Rating Without Seeing It
Hours beforeIronheart’s first three episodes landed on Disney+,review aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoesdisplayed a “rotten” score from audiences at 32%. This feature of the website enables audiences to express their collective opinions about a show or movie, often highlighting a disparity between audience and critic perspectives.
The fact that the newest MCU show hadn’t even aired before earning negative reviews illustrates an unscrupulous effort to harm the show for reasons that have escaped very few.
Nevertheless,there is no question that this feature was abused in the case ofIronheart. The fact thatthe newest MCU showhadn’t even aired before earning negative reviews illustrates an unscrupulous effort to harm the show for reasons that have escaped very few.
Sadly, it seemsthe same efforts were unleashed onIMDB, withIronheartearning a low 4.7/10 within momentsof its release. While there will undoubtedly be genuine reviews in the mix that either help lower or raise the score, it has at least fared better in the aftermath.
Ironheart’s Ratings Have Since Improved
MCU Fans Are Fighting Back
Since being review-bombed onRotten Tomatoes,Ironheart’s audience score has risen from 32% to 69%at the time of writing.This is now more or less in line with the critics' score, which is currently sitting at 70% at the time of writing, which currently matches the critics' score forEcho.The fact that the audience score is now higher thanEcho’s 59% shows that fans are kicking back against the wave of unjustified hate.This is reflected in some reviews that awardIronheart5/5, but note their criticisms nonetheless, suggesting that the perfect score is being wielded to elevateIronheartand counteract the review bombers who sought to undermineit.
AlthoughIronheart’s rating on IMDB remains at 4.3 at the time of writing, a similar picture is being painted there.The extremes on each end of the scale vastly outnumber those who awarded the show middling scoresof 4 to 6, with around one thousand viewers rating the show 10 stars. Unfortunately, these are outnumbered by the two thousand 1-star scores.
The to-and-fro at least seems to have resulted in a relatively accurate score forIronheartif genuine reviews are anything to go by. While viewers are quick to lavish praise on the show’s stars and soundtrack, it is nonetheless hampered by a formulaic story that has worn thin for some. Nevertheless, the obvious campaign of hate shouldn’t be ignored.
Ironheart’s Review Bombing Fits A Difficult Pattern For Disney
The Correlation Is Now Impossible To Ignore
A review bombing campaign either before or moments after a show’s release is sadly par for the course for a conspicuous few. While some viewers (after a show’s release) have genuine reasons to criticise,it is difficult to ignore the sheer scale and speed of the derision leveled at shows headed up by women of color.
The fact that Ironheart is now the MCU’s lowest-rated show on IMDB, rated lower than Secret Invasion by 1.1 stars, is difficult to reconcile with.
Other shows subjected to similar campaigns include the Star Wars franchise’sThe Acolyteand the MCU’s ownMs. Marvel, both of which star women of color as protagonists.Ms. Marvel, in particular, becamethe MCU’s lowest-rated showon IMDB, despite being the critics' favorite MCU showonRotten Tomatoes.
Captain MarvelandShe-Hulk: Attorney at Lawwere also review-bombed.
Now sitting at 6.2 on IMDB,it only clearsSecret Invasion, a show believed by most to be the worst in the MCU, by 0.4 stars.By comparison, most MCU shows likeWandaVision,What If…?, andThe Falcon and the Winter Soldiersit comfortably within the 7 to 8-star range.
The fact thatIronheartis now the MCU’s lowest-rated show on IMDB, rated lower thanSecret Invasionby 1.1 stars, is difficult to reconcile with.Combined with the fact thatIronheartwas so poorly rated before its release, it is impossible to ignore the glaring correlation that only seems to be getting worse with time.
