Ironheart Just Dropped on Disney+, and Marvel Just Wants It Gone
After years of delays, production shifts, and Marvel shakeups, Ironheart quietly dropped on Disney+ this week. And if you didn't notice, that might've been the idea.
Marvel's Ironheart debuted this week with all six episodes released in one week on Disney+ and Hulu — a break from the studio's usual weekly rollout model. The show arrived with zero red carpet, no cast interviews, and barely any social media promotion.
Reception has been overwhelmingly negative. Early Rotten Tomatoes scores dropped to 38% with critics and 31% with audiences, making it one of the lowest-rated MCU shows to date. On X (formerly Twitter), fans described the series as "dull," "aimless," and "dead on arrival."
"Riri is so dour, and so flat, that Ironheart all but grinds to a halt whenever a scene is primarily about the series' protagonist," one reviewer wrote.
Another described the show's structure as a "nonstop exposition dump," calling its emotional beats "forced and robotic."
Early viewers also mocked the show's visuals, especially the full-power armor sequences, which one outlet said "look better on a comic book page than in live-action." Supporting cast members were praised, but often sidelined — with one major character "abruptly killed offscreen" before their arc even started.
Critics have also questioned Marvel's decision to introduce a major comics villain here, only to bury their role in a project that's being treated as disposable.
The show ends on a setup for future appearances, but insiders say Marvel is unlikely to move forward with a second season.
Ironheart was first announced in 2020 during Marvel's high-volume content push. Current leadership has since shifted to a quality-over-quantity model — and Ironheart, according to one industry source, is "just here to fulfill a contract."