‘Ironheart’ was flooded with negative reviews pre-release—fans of the show have responded accordingly

The premature negative review bombing of “Ironheart” reveals a pattern among some Marvel superfans.

Last week, Marvel premiered the first part of its newest series, “Ironheart,” on Disney+. But even before the show dropped, fans noticed something off: “Ironheart” had already been “review bombed” (a phenomenon where a large number of users flood a platform with negative reviews) on platforms like Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb.

Marvel fans are no strangers to critique. Whether it’s a loyal adaptation of a comic book arc or a fresh reimagining of a legacy character, the fandom pays attention, and they have opinions. But in recent years, some fans’ self-appointed mission to “protect” Marvel’s storytelling has revealed a pattern. There’s a clear distinction between the projects they uplift and the ones they immediately label as “trash.”

A Black woman led show in the MCU, where every comment section that even mentions Ironheart is filled with the nastiest, most hateful things I’ve ever read, is being review bombed https://t.co/FQF5j05s5a pic.twitter.com/hPHh2TKxg3— JayBri???? (@jaysheartofiron) June 24, 2025

“Ironheart” is the latest to fall into that pattern. Produced by Ryan Coogler and helmed by a team of Black women directors and writers, the show stars Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams. First introduced in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” Riri now gets her own spotlight, with the series pulling directly from her comic book storyline. With a Black female lead and a cast that celebrates culture and community, “Ironheart” is boldly intentional in its representation.

Still, some Marvel fans didn’t wait to hit play before voicing their disapproval. In the days leading up to its June 24 premiere, audience review platforms like Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb were flooded with low scores. At one point, Ironheart had a 32% rating on Rotten Tomatoes’ “Popcorn Meter.” While the platform has since removed many of the premature reviews, the incident speaks to something deeper within Marvel’s fanbase.

We’ve seen this before. When “Black Panther” was released in 2018, Reddit threads and social media comment sections were filled with criticism, even though the film was widely praised. Earlier this year, some conservative fans aimed their frustration at Anthony Mackie, the franchise’s first Black “Captain America.” In 2024, “The Acolyte,” a series led by Amandla Stenberg featuring LGBTQ+ representation, was also review-bombed ahead of its release.

racist fans tried sooo hard to make people think ‘ironheart’ would be a bad show but we aren’t falling for it! pic.twitter.com/9Vsy4DFHDK— ???? (@thinkerriri) June 24, 2025

Since its premiere, “Ironheart’s” audience score has climbed to 86% on Rotten Tomatoes, boosted by fan support and word-of-mouth praise. In response to the backlash, “Ironheart” co-star Anthony Ramos addressed the noise.

“You’re gonna have negativity no matter what. ‘Transformers’ people were talking sh-t… this one, people are talking sh-t. Everybody’s gonna say whatever they wanna say,” he said in an interview. “But at the end of the day, we know what we made, and we’re proud of what we made. When you’re the first of a thing… well, not necessarily the first, but of all the shows we’re definitely different. […] Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but hey, at least they’re talking about it.”