Viewers plummeted the rating of Marvel's «Ironheart» series to 32% on Rotten Tomatoes — even before the first episodes were released

As of today, the first three episodes of «Iron Heart» are being broadcast on Disney+, but something strange is happening with the show’s rating.

As noticed by Collider websitehours before its release, the show received a viewership rating of only 32% on Rotten Tomatoes, an apparent review bombing that was speculated to be due to the choice of a black actress to play the lead role. A similar pre-release perception was also noted for official trailer «Iron Heart», which currently has about half a million dislikes.

With the release of the show, the situation improved somewhat and current rating is currently as follows: 73% from critics and 71% from audiences, with scores ranging from «best to worst MCU series».

Here are some direct quotes:

• «In its current form, Ironheart just doesn’t develop properly, starting flat and ending flat, and while there is some escalation of the robberies and the moral dilemma Riri faces, I can’t explain why it’s a six-episode series rather than nine. The momentum and overall structure are flawed, while elements like Riri’s status as an anti-hero — I saw one interview in which the producer compared her to Walter White or Tony Soprano, which doesn’t show up at all — and the evolution of the season’s villains seem abrupt. When Marvel can cover up narrative flaws with spectacle, those flaws are easier to ignore, but Ironheart is marred by what appears to be a significantly smaller budget than its», — Daniel Finberg, Hollywood Reporter.
• «Ironheart — is a fascinating story about the limits of genius, whether it’s overcoming a lack of money or changing the laws of the universe like death. It is also many other stories at the same time, none of which are sufficiently focused or moving», — Alison Herman, Variety.
• «Mostly, the problem is with Reese and Thorne. It’s not impossible to tell a lively and engaging story about a character consumed by grief — see Wanda Vision, the best MCU series ever. But Riri is so bleak and indifferent that Ironheart almost stops every time a scene is about the protagonist. It’s a rare mistake for a company that usually does a great job of casting actors… Almost everyone else is more admirable when the focus shifts to them, especially Natalie (Lyric Ross), who returns to virtual life as the armor’s new artificial intelligence», — Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone.

«Ironheart» — is a series about a kind of girly version of Tony Stark, teenage inventor Riri Williams (Dominic Thorne), who is determined to create her own perfect iron armor. Chinaka Hodge («Midnight Club») adapted the screenplay from the comic book by Brian Michael Bendis and Mike Deodato, directed by Sam Bailey and Angela Barnes, and executive produced by — Ryan Coogler (Coogler directed «Black Panther: Wakanda Forever», which debuted the character of Thorn).

The first three episodes of «Ironheart» are already available to watch on Disney+, while the second half of the season will premiere on July 1.