Unmasking the Controversy: 10 Marvel Movies & TV Shows That Faced Review Bombing

Enter the phenomenon of “review bombing,” where a coordinated effort leads to a barrage of one-star reviews being posted for a film or TV series. Alarmingly, this can even occur before the project has been released to the public. Typically orchestrated by bad-faith consumers, these campaigns aim to diminish the overall ratings of media they wish to see fail, thereby discouraging potential viewers. Such efforts often target projects that highlight women, people of color, or members of the LGBTQ+ community in prominent roles. The pattern suggests that those behind these campaigns have a vested interest in derailing such inclusive narratives.

The advent of Marvel’s Phase Four marked a noticeable surge in review bombing, largely due to its embrace of diverse characters and stories. This trend complicates honest critique, as it blurs the line between genuine feedback on storytelling and performance and bias-driven negativity. This distortion can lead to overcorrection by audiences who might then overlook genuine artistic flaws in their defense against these unfounded attacks.

A more open-minded approach towards inclusivity could lead to more balanced discussions regarding the merit of diverse projects. Such a shift is crucial for media criticism to evolve beyond polarized viewpoints. Below are ten Marvel projects that fell victim to review bombing.

One notable target was “Black Panther,” which, even before its theatrical debut, faced an orchestrated attack by an online group named “Down with Disney.” This group, known for previously targeting “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” accused Disney—recently having acquired Marvel—of bribing critics to favorably review their films. Initially organizing on Facebook until their page faced harassment reports, the group plotted to undermine “Black Panther” by flooding Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb with negative reviews.

A few weeks ahead of its theatrical release, “Black Panther” was the target of an attack by an internet hate group called “Down with Disney,” a collection of film fans that claimed responsibility for the review bombing of “Star Wars: The Last Jedi.” The group claimed that Disney, who at the time had recently acquired Marvel, had paid off critics to praise their releases. Originally congregating on Facebook until their page was reported for harassment, they continued to formulate plans to review-bomb “Black Panther” on Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb.

Rotten Tomatoes caught wind of these plans and issued a statement vowing to block any hate speech on the website. IMDb seemed to be too slow to react, however, and one-star reviews poured in about a week before the premiere. Though the group never stated race as their reasoning for targeting “Black Panther,” members of the group self-identifying with the alt-right suggests it certainly was a factor. Nevertheless, the attack barely dented the film’s performance or overall reception — “Black Panther” was hugely successful at the box office and was critically beloved to boot. In fact, it is the only Marvel project on this list to beat back criticism so definitively that it earned a sequel, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”

In 2019, Marvel debuted its first feature film with a female lead in “Captain Marvel,” and after almost a decade of male-led superhero films, many misogynists came out the woodwork to slander the movie. The hate campaign driven by male viewers against progress was so overwhelming that it has permanently marred the legacy of the film.

Within a few hours of hitting theaters, “the film had a 33 percent audience score from more than 58,000 reviews [on Rotten Tomatoes]. That is more than the total of audience score reviews for Avengers: Infinity War for its entire theatrical run,” per The Hollywood Reporter. Rotten Tomatoes would soon after claim this was due to a site glitch allowing reviews to be posted before the film released, and the fiasco led the aggregator to ban user reviews prior to theatrical releases.

The review bombing was transparently sexist, with user after user slandering lead star Brie Larson’s support of film inclusivity and Marvel’s decision to produce a project not centered on a white male hero. By critics’ accounts, the film was in no way perfect, but it was entertaining and fun in the same way that every Marvel film before it had been. Even user reviews on IMDb implore others to ignore the negative reviews and give the film a chance. For better and worse, “Captain Marvel” is a case study in how cultural inertia can distort the quality of the media we consume.

There were a multitude of factors that contributed to review bombing for “She-Hulk: Attorney At Law.” That’s not to say there weren’t legitimate criticisms of the show, of course. On a technical and visual front, some people thought the CGI was poor. In order to make Jennifer Walters look imposing as She-Hulk, actress Tatiana Maslany’s likeness had to be artificially enlarged. Even if Mark Ruffalo was similarly altered for all of his Marvel appearances, the CGI in “She-Hulk” was under a harsher microscope. Other fans decried that the comedic, more adult tone of the series was too mature for Marvel. At the time, Marvel was settling into its relationship with Disney. Given the reputation that Disney (and Marvel, to be fair) had established as a family brand, a selection of critics claimed that “She-Hulk” was too bawdy for both.

However, the criticism of the show’s raunchiness overlapped with the last and biggest culprit of negative reviews – the feminist approach to storytelling. A portion of male fans refused to engage with a feisty, self-assured female lawyer as the protagonist of a Marvel series. What’s more, Jennifer wasn’t afraid to be sexual, as evidenced by her infamous twerking scene with rapper Megan thee Stallion. Still, the show found its audience and received average to good reviews. The future of She-Hulk is unclear, as Maslany’s full schedule may not allow time for her to reprise the role. Even if she could, though, the negativity Maslany experienced during season one may not make the juice worth the squeeze.

“Ms. Marvel” received critical lashings from fans for various reasons in 2022. Unlike the mature tone of “She-Hulk,” review bombers of “Ms. Marvel” slammed the show for its so-called childlike tone. It is true that Marvel fans skew closer to the Millennial age range, but appealing to younger audiences was surely a strategic move to gain new fans. A reasonable viewer would be able to understand when something isn’t for them, and more importantly, when that fact does not inherently make the piece of media poor quality. Besides, if there was any streaming service where childlike wonder would be a perfect fit, it would be Disney+.

Other fans decried the deviations from the comic in terms of how Kamala Khan gained her powers (from a bangle, rather than Inhuman mist). The aspect of the series that caused the most uproar was, unsurprisingly, the race of the character. Kamala Khan is a Pakastani-American Muslim teen. Naturally, the series dealt with culturally-specific issues to Kamala’s race and religion, and a portion of viewers took exception to this “woke nonsense.” On the flip side of xenophobia, some Indian fans took issue with the show’s skirting of Indian-Pakistani political relations. These critiques proved ultimately hollow, as “Ms. Marvel” was praised by critics, even becoming Marvel’s best-reviewed project to that point.

The review bombing phenomenon for ‘Echo” remains largely inexplicable — there wasn’t a strong reason for the negative reception with a section of Marvel fans. With only five episodes, the miniseries holds respectable ratings across various review sites, resting in the 6 to 7 out of 10 range. Positive reviews praised the show’s unique feel among the rest of the MCU. However, other reviews complained that “Echo” was boring and uninteresting compared to other Marvel projects. By early 2024, Marvel audiences were feeling generally burnt out with the volume of MCU output on Disney+. “Echo” being received as boring lent credence to the idea that the comic studio was releasing content for content’s sake. Thus, the review bombing of “Echo” could have simply been the object of general frustration with Marvel.

Still, the fact that the series starred a deaf, indigenous actress (Alaqua Cox) as the titular hero cannot be discounted as a potential reason for dismissal by Marvel fans. Also an amputee, a lead actress with not one but three rarely-represented identities added to the idea that the studio was “going woke.” Perhaps that inclusive direction was actually what detractors felt agitated with; there is some evidence of that sentiment to be found if you dig through the darker corners of the internet.

How could a series led by marquee actors like Samuel L. Jackson, Olivia Colman, and Emilia Clarke generate an influx of negative responses? Strange as it may seem on paper, this was the case for “Secret Invasion,” the Marvel limited series released in 2023. This series was a rare instance of review-bombing based strictly on the content. Fans and critics alike lambasted countless aspects of “Secret Invasion,” including its overuse of CGI in the final episode, artistic liberties taken with the Skrulls’ backstories, and an over-reliance on shock-value deaths. 

In a way, it’s almost a relief to see a show criticized for artistry (or perceived lack thereof) over any other reason, though there’s no pleasure to be taken in a product that turned out not to live up to its potential. In our review from 2023, we remarked that “Secret Invasion” didn’t deliver on its promise of suspense and contained writing that left little to the imagination. All in all, the vision of the series did not come together as a faithful adaptation of comic lore or a reimagining of its canonical universe. It remains at the bottom of Marvel’s output in terms of reviews, siting at a flaccid 5.8 out of 10 on IMDb.

“Agatha All Along,” the spin-off series of critically-acclaimed “WandaVision,” faced an avalanche of one-star reviews after it premiered in fall 2024. Similarly to “Ms. Marvel,” a minority of viewers claimed that the show’s writing was immature, even going as far as to say it was “amateur.” Yet there’s evidence that these claims were likely grasping at straws, as a majority of the critiques referenced the pro-woman, pro-queer depictions on the series. “Agatha All Along” had multiple important female characters like Sharon Davis (Debra Jo Rupp), Jen Kale (Sasheer Zamata), and Lilia Calderu (Patti LuPone). Additionally, Agatha herself was confirmed queer, with references of her ex-lover Death (Aubrey Plaza) throughout the series. Lastly, Joe Locke, an openly gay actor, portrayed Billy Maximoff as openly gay as well. Marvel appealing openly to women and queer people expectedly brought out the usual suspects in comment sections and review sites.

Setting aside the bad faith reviews of the show, reviews from fans and critics were mixed. Fairer criticisms of the series, like Looper’s own review from 2024, point out that the premise was flimsy and unrealistic even for a tale told in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It had the same problem that “Secret Invasion” did — a cast of prominent actors that, despite their deep talents and best efforts, could not make up for plot deficiencies.

Despite it being directed by Academy-Award winner Chloe Zhao, “Eternals” failed to resonate with audiences in 2021. Like others on this list, the film was review-bombed on IMDb before it premiered due to Phastos (Bryan Tyree Henry) appearing alongside his male partner and child in the film’s trailer. This seemed to send bigots into a frenzy, leading many to post false and homophobic reviews ahead of the November release date that IMDb would later take down.

The negative reviews certainly pulled down average scores for the film, but critics still largely panned the movie. Publications like Slate and Roger Ebert gave it poor scores, among several others, though the film’s diversity or queer representation weren’t cited as reasons for criticism but instead often lauded. Yet a small section of the Marvel audience embraced the movie, declaring it misunderstood by the larger public. It seems that the reason a minority of Marvel fans loved it is the same reason why most others hated it: It was unlike every other Marvel movie. Time will tell if its audience grows, but “Eternals” could end up becoming a cult favorite in the future.

“Ironheart” was seemingly snake-bitten from the get-go by racist and sexist Marvel fans. With Dominique Thorne starring as the titular hero Riri Williams, the same people who rejected “Black Panther” on the premise alone were never going to accept another Black-led project, especially when that lead was a woman as well. The review bombs for this series started early, with a barrage of one-star reviews hitting Rotten Tomatoes hours before the first three episodes premiered.

There isn’t a consensus review of “Ironheart” since its debut in summer 2025; among critics and audiences, the show’s scores are all over the place. Currently, it holds a 76% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and 4.5 out of 10 stars on IMDb. As recently as March 2026, viewers are still leaving one-star reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. Particularly with this series, the only way to form an educated opinion on quality is to watch it yourself on Disney+. Just keep in mind that it may not be “for you,” and remember it’s okay if it isn’t.

“Moon Knight,” the series starring Oscar Isaac as the white-masked titular hero, was subject to review bombing after its debut in 2022. The reason for the influx of negative IMDb reviews was the show’s reference to the Armenian Genocide. In the show, cult leader Arthur Harrow (Ethan Hawke) claims that the Egyptian deity Ammit could have prevented historical atrocities if she was free. Not only did Harrow name the Armenian Genocide, but he named it alongside Adolf Hitler, who of course led the Holocaust.

Some viewers were offended by recognizing the genocide; to this day, the Turkish government does not recognize the forced displacement and deaths of over one million Armenians from 1915-1916 as a genocide. Although it is now generally accepted as one –- particularly with the Kardashians, the most famous Armenian family on the planet, recognizing it –- a sizeable portion of people still agree with the Turkish government. These deniers posted negative reviews of “Moon Knight,” citing the genocide mention as the reason for their criticism. In fact, almost half of one-star reviews are from users in Turkey. Regardless, the positive reviews outweighed the negative ones; the miniseries currently holds a score of 7.3 on IMDb.