What Marvel’s Lowest Rated Shows Reveal About the Franchise

While the UCM is currently riding a wave of positivity around Agatha all the timeits lowest-rated shows still reveal a lot about the franchise. Marvel TV shows didn’t fall strictly into MCU canon until WandaVision arrived on the then-new Disney+ platform in 2021. At the time, WandaVision was a positive sign of things to come, as it remains one of the highest-rated MCU shows to date. This prognosis has remained consistently justified for the most part, although a few outliers have broken Marvel Studios’ winning streak in recent years.

Before the MCU began integrating Disney+ shows into its main group, Marvel Television was leading TV production on other streaming platforms. The canonicity of these Marvel shows has been a long-standing cause of confusion among Marvel fans, until shows specifically produced on Netflix were quietly integrated into the official MCU timeline on Disney Plus. Show how Agents of SHIELD and Inhumanshowever, they never had the same privilege.

Marvel’s Disney+ shows aren’t the only controversial releases

There have always been divisive Marvel shows

The MCU has recently adopted an ethos of quality over quantity that may have resulted from a recent dip in enthusiasm for certain shows and films. Only in 2023 did the MCU release its worst-rated film with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumaniaits worst-rated program with Secret Invasion, and his lowest-grossing film with The wonders. Fortunately, these were interspersed with the acclaimed Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and Loki Season 2, but that wasn’t enough to eliminate concerns.

Loki season 2 was followed by Echowhich was the MCU’s first Marvel Spotlight series in early 2024. Despite its loose connection to the beloved Daredevil franchise, this show was met with a lukewarm response from audiences. Likewise, Daredevil alone wasn’t enough to rescue 2022 She-Hulk: Lawyer of being criticized by fans when it was released on Disney+, despite receiving a positive response from critics. The show remains the most divisive MCU production among the general public and critics. Secret Invasion it was also met with slightly more praise by critics.

Meanwhile, pre-MCU shows tend to show a divide that goes the other way among TV programs with lower ratings (although the same trend can be observed in programs with higher ratings). Inhumans is the lowest-rated Marvel production overall, according to critics, though audiences bestow this unenviable praise on She-Hulk. The public also grants Iron Fist a respectable 66% on Rotten Tomatoes compared to critics’ 37%, which puts it above five other Marvel shows, including Echo and Cloak and Dagger (which stands at 87% among critics).

Still, ten of the lowest-rated shows in Marvel’s repertoire prove that it’s rare for Marvel to produce generally poorly received shows. Agatha all the time achieves greater harmony between the public and criticswith a single point among the scores awarded, and is widely acclaimed despite being in the lowest-rated top ten. Still, his stance is indicative of another problem Marvel faces when creating new shows.

Introducing lesser-known superheroes is a constant risk for Marvel

Lesser-Known Leads Struggle to Spark Excitement

While Agatha all the time has been widely well received now, the period leading up to its release saw some backlash as a General lack of enthusiasm surrounded these relatively obscure characters. Although Wiccan is arguably the most famous of the cast, his identity, while suspicious, was not revealed until halfway through the series. Even so, Wiccan is far from Marvel’s most prominent character, having only been introduced to Marvel Comics in 2005. Agatha, meanwhile, is a minor character in Marvel Comics and looks distinctly different from her MCU counterpart.

TV shows tend to be where Marvel debuts its lesser-known characterswith characters like Punisher and Daredevil being the most popular characters to debut on the small screen. This continued into the era of MCU shows, with Echo being an incredibly obscure character who failed to spark much enthusiasm from the start. The same indifference can be felt with upcoming Disney+ projects like Iron Heartwhich regularly fuels negative feelings due to the relative obscurity of its star. Yet, Agatha all the time proved that overall quality can quickly quell this objection.

On the other hand, She-Hulk is a much more recognizable and established character who, however, failed to hit home with fansdespite critics praising its first performance. It’s also worth noting that his series featured more established characters, Hulk and Daredevil. The same can be said for Secret Invasionwhich starred the MCU’s most prolific character (discounting Stan Lee’s recurring character).

Even iconic MCU characters can’t save their shows alone

Nick Fury’s Star Power Wasn’t Enough to Save the Secret Invasion

Before Secret InvasionSeeing Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury in a solo project was a desire shared by many MCU fans. Despite seemingly being a supporting character, his 12 appearances in MCU projects have helped turn him into a fan favorite, bolstered by Jackson’s star power. Unfortunately, this alone was insufficient to change Secret Invasionthe destinyalthough Jackson’s performance received praise. Secret Invasion brought greater depth to Nick Fury, especially regarding his secret relationship with the Skrull, Varra. Unfortunately, its time in the spotlight suffered from poorly received writing and pacing that went against Fury’s typical slickness.

The appearance of Smart Hulk in She-Hulkhowever, it was insufficient to save his cousin from the wrath of some audiences. She-Hulk is technically new to the MCU, but the character is one of Marvel Comics’ most recognizable, making her a particularly standout figure among the lesser-known stars of the Disney+ shows. Unfortunately for Jennifer Walters, her star power alone couldn’t withstand criticism surrounding substandard CGI and a divisive ending. It should also be noted, however, that She-Hulk suffered a series of overhaul bombings.

After establishing himself as a fan favorite in an R-rated Netflix series, Daredevil now stars in one of the MCU’s most anticipated shows. After a long development process to ensure it lives up to expectations, the pressure is now on Marvel. While Daredevil’s appeal may give the show a significant edge, these UCM shows demonstrate how Daredevil: Born Again should not rely solely on his charismatic leadership.

Source: Rotten tomatoes