The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a bit like that one friend who always brings the best music to the party, but just as you’re vibing to the hits, they pull out several experimental mix tapes that kill the vibe.
Over the years, the MCU has dropped 36 films and over a dozen Disney+ shows. Some of them have been glorious. But others? Not so much. And while we appreciate the idea of expanding the universe and exploring characters beyond Iron Man and Captain America, not every comic book hero and their sidekick needed six episodes of screen time.
Disney+
Watch On Disney+
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law was supposed to be the MCU’s quirky legal comedy. In fact, it was initially sold to audiences as Marvel meets Ally McBeal. Sadly, the only thing She-Hulk should be defending in court right now is her own show.
Attorney at Law ended up as one of the lowest-rated Marvel shows on Rotten Tomatoes. With a sad 32% audience score, She-Hulk somehow did worse than Inhumans and Secret Invasion. Even the Hulk couldn’t smash those terrible reviews.
While Tatiana Maslany certainly is a great actor, and there’s a version of Jennifer Walters that could’ve worked in live action, most fans weren’t here for the twerking cameos, the bad CGI, or the show’s refusal to be part of the broader MCU.
Is She-Hulk even canon? No one’s really sure.
Disney+
Watch On Disney+
Kamala Khan, played by Iman Vellani, was positioned as “the Peter Parker of Gen Z,” and sold to fans as “the first mutant of the MCU.” However, that wasn’t enough to convince fans to tune in every week, and Ms. Marvel’s debut show became one of the most skippable entries in the MCU. While the character is charming and full of potential, the execution didn’t connect, even if it did get a whopping 98% score from 311 critics on Rotten Tomatoes.
In the comics, Ms. Marvel is a natural evolution of Marvel’s young heroes and, of course, Captain Marvel. She’s shown up in video games, TV shows, and animated movies. So she clearly is a favourite. However, the writers of the Disney+ show were far more interested in teenage awkwardness than superhero storytelling.
Disney+
Watch On Disney+
If there’s one Marvel character who definitely didn’t need a full show, it’s Maya Lopez. She went from being an interesting side character in Hawkeye to the lead in her own gritty spin-off. And nobody showed up. Even Daredevil, Hawkeye, and Wilson Fisk couldn’t save this one.
Marvel tried very hard to tie in some deeper themes about family, heritage, and community, but fans didn’t care. Echo just doesn’t have the pull. She’s not Spider-Man. She’s not even Ant-Man. She’s the side character you quietly root for. She’s not a hero you follow across five episodes. I mean, she barely even has her own solo comic book series.
Disney+
Watch On Disney+
For most fans, Secret Invasion was entirely skippable. Six episodes of Samuel L. Jackson doing spy things with Skrulls sounded cool until we all realized we’d rather just see him pop in for a five-minute cameo and disappear into the shadows. Nick Fury’s strength has always been in his mystery, not his monologues.
Worst of all, the show made the character look old and tired. Is this the same guy who recruited the Avengers, faked his own death, and single-handedly took on the police and S.W.A.T. by himself in Captain America: The Winter Soldier?
If we’re completely honest, the MCU hasn’t known what to do with Fury for a while now. Perhaps it’s time for him to retire.
Look, not every Marvel character is built for the spotlight. Shows like WandaVision, Loki, and Moon Knight worked because those characters already had fan investment or offered something unique. But Ironheart and Wonder Man are on the way, and all signs point to Marvel still not learning from past misfires.
Marvel, you really don’t have to adapt every character just because you can. Sometimes, it’s okay to leave a hero on the page.
Over the years, the MCU has dropped 36 films and over a dozen Disney+ shows. Some of them have been glorious. But others? Not so much. And while we appreciate the idea of expanding the universe and exploring characters beyond Iron Man and Captain America, not every comic book hero and their sidekick needed six episodes of screen time.
1. She-Hulk
Disney+
Watch On Disney+
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law was supposed to be the MCU’s quirky legal comedy. In fact, it was initially sold to audiences as Marvel meets Ally McBeal. Sadly, the only thing She-Hulk should be defending in court right now is her own show.
Attorney at Law ended up as one of the lowest-rated Marvel shows on Rotten Tomatoes. With a sad 32% audience score, She-Hulk somehow did worse than Inhumans and Secret Invasion. Even the Hulk couldn’t smash those terrible reviews.
While Tatiana Maslany certainly is a great actor, and there’s a version of Jennifer Walters that could’ve worked in live action, most fans weren’t here for the twerking cameos, the bad CGI, or the show’s refusal to be part of the broader MCU.
Is She-Hulk even canon? No one’s really sure.
2. Ms. Marvel
Disney+
Watch On Disney+
Kamala Khan, played by Iman Vellani, was positioned as “the Peter Parker of Gen Z,” and sold to fans as “the first mutant of the MCU.” However, that wasn’t enough to convince fans to tune in every week, and Ms. Marvel’s debut show became one of the most skippable entries in the MCU. While the character is charming and full of potential, the execution didn’t connect, even if it did get a whopping 98% score from 311 critics on Rotten Tomatoes.
In the comics, Ms. Marvel is a natural evolution of Marvel’s young heroes and, of course, Captain Marvel. She’s shown up in video games, TV shows, and animated movies. So she clearly is a favourite. However, the writers of the Disney+ show were far more interested in teenage awkwardness than superhero storytelling.
3. Echo
Disney+
Watch On Disney+
If there’s one Marvel character who definitely didn’t need a full show, it’s Maya Lopez. She went from being an interesting side character in Hawkeye to the lead in her own gritty spin-off. And nobody showed up. Even Daredevil, Hawkeye, and Wilson Fisk couldn’t save this one.
Marvel tried very hard to tie in some deeper themes about family, heritage, and community, but fans didn’t care. Echo just doesn’t have the pull. She’s not Spider-Man. She’s not even Ant-Man. She’s the side character you quietly root for. She’s not a hero you follow across five episodes. I mean, she barely even has her own solo comic book series.
4. Nick Fury
Disney+
Watch On Disney+
For most fans, Secret Invasion was entirely skippable. Six episodes of Samuel L. Jackson doing spy things with Skrulls sounded cool until we all realized we’d rather just see him pop in for a five-minute cameo and disappear into the shadows. Nick Fury’s strength has always been in his mystery, not his monologues.
Worst of all, the show made the character look old and tired. Is this the same guy who recruited the Avengers, faked his own death, and single-handedly took on the police and S.W.A.T. by himself in Captain America: The Winter Soldier?
If we’re completely honest, the MCU hasn’t known what to do with Fury for a while now. Perhaps it’s time for him to retire.
Look, not every Marvel character is built for the spotlight. Shows like WandaVision, Loki, and Moon Knight worked because those characters already had fan investment or offered something unique. But Ironheart and Wonder Man are on the way, and all signs point to Marvel still not learning from past misfires.
Marvel, you really don’t have to adapt every character just because you can. Sometimes, it’s okay to leave a hero on the page.