The rise of coordinated online review-bombing campaigns has quietly reshaped how streaming shows are perceived. Shows that deviate from nostalgic expectations, foreground marginalized characters, or shift genre tone are increasingly vulnerable. The reaction is immediate, the backlash predictable, and the consequences real.
This cycle has played out across multiple platforms—first with Ms. Marvel, then The Acolyte, and now, most recently, with Ironheart, a Marvel Studios series that only just premiered on Disney+.
The Numbers Don’t Always Tell the Story
Ironheart debuted its first three episodes on June 24, but audience scores started dropping well before the public had access. As noted by ScreenRant, the show held a 32% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes prior to its premiere. On IMDb, it currently sits at 3.7/10—despite relatively positive reviews from critics.
The show centers on Riri Williams, played by Dominique Thorne, a teenage engineering genius first introduced in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. After being expelled from MIT, Riri returns home to Chicago and tries to forge her own identity outside of Iron Man’s shadow. The story pits her tech against the mysticism of Parker Robbins, a petty criminal who becomes The Hood.
Critics praised the series’ grounded focus and Thorne’s performance. “Dominique Thorne ignites the MCU skies with charisma and confidence to boot, making Ironheart a worthy watch despite its conventional genre armor,” reads the show’s consensus.
Still, reviews from users poured in ahead of the embargo lift, sparking angry responses from some fans.
How fucking miserable do you have to be to review bomb #Ironheart that you obviously didn’t watch because the episode weren’t available until an hour ago and reviews were embargo just got lifted.
Not to mention y’all are just copying and pasting the same tired ass fake review!
How fucking miserable do you have to be to review bomb #Ironheart that you obviously didn’t watch because the episode weren’t available until an hour ago and reviews were embargo just got lifted.
Not to mention y’all are just copying and pasting the same tired ass fake review! pic.twitter.com/feg7Gpgw68
— Neysha 🔜 FanExpo? (@NeyshaPlays) June 25, 2025
Echoes of a Larger Trend For Disney Franchises
What’s happening to Ironheart isn’t isolated. It follows an increasingly recognizable pattern of review bombing that often targets projects led by women or people of color. The Acolyte, released in 2024, suffered similar treatment. Created by Leslye Headland, the Star Wars series followed Jedi Master Sol (Lee Jung-jae) and twin sisters Osha and Mae (Amandla Stenberg) during the High Republic era.
Despite solid early viewership and strong production values, The Acolyte was flooded with one-star reviews before its release. Critics noted the show’s rich world-building and nuanced character work, but online detractors dismissed it for its pacing, lore shifts, and cast diversity. “Wokeness” became a catch-all accusation, aimed at everything from Master Indara (Carrie-Anne Moss) to the inclusion of queer and nonwhite characters.
Disney eventually pulled the plug. Officially, the company cited high production costs. Unofficially, it seemed like the unrelenting online hate campaign – which Disney notably never publicly shut down – as a deciding factor. With the series now sidelined, few expect its characters—or storyline—to resurface in the franchise anytime soon.
Can Marvel Weather the Storm?
The pattern has already derailed another Marvel title: Ms. Marvel, which premiered in 2022, centered on Pakistani-American teen Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani). The show received praise for its visual flair and coming-of-age tone, but was similarly review bombed ahead of its release.
Though Kamala returned in The Marvels, her solo series has since been left out of larger MCU arcs. Now, the same concern hangs over Ironheart. If Marvel decides the backlash represents a reputational risk, Riri Williams—despite Thorne’s clear appeal—may not be given the long-term arc afforded to other heroes.
The stakes are higher than just bad ratings. For studios that claim to prioritize inclusion, how they respond to this kind of online behavior may define what kind of universe they’re really building.
What do you think of Ironheart?
