Credit: Inside the MagicDisney reportedly knew what to expect when its latest Marvel project hit the air.
The last few years have been rough for Marvel Studios, to say the least. While the studio has had a string of hits since Avengers: Endgame (2019) – including Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) and Deadpool & Wolverine (2024), both of which broke the $1 billion mark – it’s also had to contend with growing superhero fatigue and inconsistent returns at the box office.
Even positive reviews haven’t guaranteed box office success in recent years. For example, Thunderbolts* (2025) was a hit with both fans and critics, but only brought home a disappointing $382 million during its theatrical run.
But another issue facing Marvel Studios lately is that reviews aren’t always the most accurate measure of a project’s quality. As the studio ventures into more inclusive Marvel Cinematic Universe projects, it’s also had to contend with a barrage of review bombing across the likes of Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb.
With the release of The Marvels (2023) – which ultimately failed to break even at the box office – some internet users unleashed sexist or racist (or both) hate towards Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, and Iman Vellani.
The internet was flooded with similar sentiments for Disney+ projects such as Ms. Marvel (also starring Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan) and, most recently, Ironheart.
‘Ironheart’ Contends With Barrage of Online Abuse
Even before Ironheart hit the streaming service, negative reviews flooded various websites, denouncing the project’s quality and its lead, Dominique Thorne. Reprising her role from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022), Thorne portrays Riri Williams, an MIT student and genius from Chicago who has constructed her own Iron Man-esque suit of armor.
Set after her expulsion from MIT, Ironheart follows Riri as she returns to Chicago and tries to forge her own path outside the legacy of Iron Man. The series also introduces Parker Robbins, a petty criminal who comes into possession of dark magical powers and becomes The Hood – setting up a confrontation between Riri’s tech and Robbins’ mysticism.
Now, Ryan Coogler – who also directed both Black Panther (2018) and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and served as a producer of the show – has waded into the discussion around the show’s backlash, claiming that Disney was well aware that it would be met with this response.
During an appearance on The New Blerd Order podcast, Coogler addressed the racism that has plagued the show’s reviews, as well as the growing pattern of fans slamming projects before their release.
“Did you and [series creator and head writer Chinaka Hodge] go into this process knowing that this was coming, and if so, did that weigh on you going in?” asked host Anthony Whyte. “Did you warn her? Does Disney have any internal preparation for this stuff?”
Coogler confirmed, “The answer is yes to all of that.” He went on to explain that “whenever you’re breaking ground in spaces that are thought of as not being for you, this happens. The entertainment business is not unique in that. That’s in every business.”
He went on to add, “This show is for people who’re not permanently online, expressing their opinions about everything. This show is for people who are busy living their lives, bro.”
However, he explained that Ironheart also isn’t in the business of trying to convince those against a young Black woman leading her own Marvel show otherwise. “If they come to this show with an open mind, I think there’s going to be a lot there for them. For folks that come to the show with a closed mind… That ain’t got nothing to do with us.”
Despite the negativity found in some online spaces, Ironheart has proved successful on Disney+. After premiering its first three episodes, it climbed to the number one spot on Disney+, where it remains to this day.