Marvel's Ironheart First Reviews Are All Over the Place, from 'Disappointed' to 'Spectacular'

Ahead of Ironheart's upcoming debut on Disney, critics have seen their first look at the new series, sharing wildly mixed reactions to the newest MCU project. Starring Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams, Ironheart will be the final series in Marvel Studios' Phase 5 slate, giving fans a new look at the Chicago youngster as her solo journey continues.

Ironheart is set to have its first three episodes premiere on Disney+ on Tuesday, June 24, and its last three episodes will debut one week later on Tuesday, July 1. Critics saw all six episodes, with some giving the series heavy praise while others thought it was one of the weaker series in MCU history.

Critics Share Mixed First Reviews & Reactions to Marvel Studios' Ironheart

Check out the first reactions to all six episodes of Marvel Studios' Ironheart below:

Coming Soon's Jonathan Sim called the series "a spectacular dose of black girl magic," praising it as one of the MCU's best shows. Highlighting Dominique Thorne and Alden Ehrenreich, he gave the series credit for being "funny, grounded, and superpowerful:"

"'Ironheart' is a spectacular dose of black girl magic. One of Marvel's best shows. Filled with charming, likable characters. From the heroes to the villains, everyone is magnetic. Dominique Thorne and Alden Ehrenreich are outstanding. Anthony Ramos is in rare form. Funny, grounded, and superpowerful. Some clever MCU tie-ins. A VERY bold ending too!"

"I'm sad to say it disappointed me," said SciFiction's Kieran David Burt, noting that Riri Williams and Parker Robbins' presence did not make up "for the weak action or themes" in the series:

"I saw 'Ironheart' and I'm sad to say it disappointed me. Riri Williams and Parker Robbins were likeable, but it didn't make up for the weak action or themes throughout the show. My full review for SciFiction coming soon! Pictures from Disney."

CinemaBlend's Erik Swann was more mixed on the show, praising the "fun supporting cast, awesome visuals and earnest themes." However, he was not as big a fan of the writing and some of the storytelling choices:

"I'm a bit mixed on 'Ironheart.' There are solid elements, like Dominique Thorne's performance, the fun supporting cast, awesome visuals and earnest themes. But the writing could be stronger, and some storytelling decisions didn't hit for me. Not a bad show, but it could be better."

ComicBookMovie's Mark Cassidy was not fond of what he saw, saying it was "obvious...why Marvel decided to dump this" on Disney+ in two three-episode blocks. Giving the cast a pass, he noted they were not "given much to work with," calling the series "mostly just tedious to sit through:"

"I've seen all six episodes of 'Ironheart,' and it's not good. It becomes obvious very quickly why Marvel decided to dump this on D+ 3 eps at a time. Can't fault the cast, but none of them are given much to work with. Some of the action scenes are passable and the finale is by far the strongest ep, but it's mostly just tedious to sit through, I'm afraid. I didn't hate it... because there's not enough passion behind any of it to make me feel that strongly one way or the other. The very definition of 'content.'"

According to The Direct's Jeff Ewing, "Ironheart is a lean, grounded yet high impact, MCU-shifting outing," with Dominique Thorne giving a great performance. He also described the series as "a solid, breezy outing," hinting at an easier watch for MCU fans:

"'Ironheart' is a lean, grounded yet high impact, MCU-shifting outing. Dominique Thorne is memorable and badass, Anthony Ramos builds a complex antagonist, and there are solid surprises in store. Ryan Coogler builds a lived-in and complex world. A solid, breezy outing."

"Ironheart is a fine series," as noted by critic Zach Pope, who "wanted to love it" but did not have that kind of emotion after watching. Specifically calling the finale and Anthony Ramos' The Hood "awesome," he did not feel the character arcs were very meaningful or forward-moving:

"'Ironheart' is a fine series! I really wanted to love but came away not feeling much. VFX, Action, & some new additions of magic mythology to the world of the MCU stand out (THE HOOD + FINALE = AWESOME) but the character arcs feel at a standstill by the end & don’t go anywhere."

Screen Rant's Kevin Erdmann called Ironheart "a high-tech rollercoaster from start to finish," praising the show despite feeling that it started slow. Specifically, he thoroughly enjoyed the advancement into the "MCU's mystical side:"

"'Ironheart' is a high-tech rollercoaster from start to finish. Lots to love here beyond what I was expecting with some solid performances despite a bit of a slower start. The evolution from science to the MCU’s mystical side had me HOOKED."

Ashley Company's Ashley Saunders gave Ironheart praise for having high "stakes and emotions," crediting Thorne and Ramos for their performances while teasing "fun Easter eggs" and a massive surprise to talk about later:

"'Ironheart' blasts off & doesn’t look back! Stakes & emotions are high, building to a finale that’ll have fans talking & theorizing! Dominique Thorne & Anthony Ramos are great. Loved their storylines. Can’t wait 2 talk more about that 1 surprise & the fun Easter eggs"

"Ironheart warmed my heart," said The Mary Sue's Rachel Leishmann, highlighting Thorne's performance while noting "a lot of depth" added to Riri Williams' story in the series:

"'Ironheart' warmed my heart. Dominique Thorne brings Riri Williams to life with layers that make her so much more. She's still our incredibly smart girl from Chicago but there is a lot of depth to Riri's story and the show has a truly emotional arc and an iconic vibe to it.

While this series was about as good as Hawkeye and Ms. Marvel, according to CBR's Sean O'Connell, it did not live up to other shows like Loki or Daredevil. Pointing out "really cool stuff" and "some silly stuff," he let fans know that the last two episodes of Ironheart are "the real deal:"

"On the Marvel TV scale, 'Ironheart' runs in the pack of 'Hawkeye' and 'Ms. Marvel', but not 'Loki' or 'DD (Daredevil)'. There's really cool stuff. There's some silly stuff. Be patient, because Eps. 5 and 6 are the real deal, with major MCU implications. More of this character, please!"

Ironheart ranks as one of Gizmondo's Germain Lussier's "favorite Marvel shows," praising it for "[blending] so much of what we love about the MCU" so fluidly through its characters and performances:

"'Ironheart' is one of my favorite Marvel shows. It blends so much of what we love about the MCU so seamlessly with fantastic characters, performances, and style. Goes places I didn't expect, links in wild ways, but always keeps its dynamic, flawed, lead character front and center."

While Ironheart "doesn't break any new ground" for ComicBookMovie's Josh Wilding, he found it enjoyable due to the cast's performances and told viewers not to miss the finale:

"'Ironheart' doesn't break any new ground with its story (and the less said about The Hood's crew, the better). However, it's an enjoyable ride buoyed by stellar performances from Dominique Thorne, Alden Ehrenreich, Anthony Ramos, and Lyric Ross. DON'T MISS THE FINALE!"

Will Ironheart Be a Hit For Marvel Studios on Disney+?

The struggles Marvel Studios has had developing Ironheart are well known at this point, with the series debuting almost three full years after Dominique Thorne's original debut as Riri Williams in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Even the show's release strategy, in which Marvel is pushing out all six episodes in only two weeks, still has viewers concerned about the quality of the final product.

All in all, some of the critics saw plenty of good in the MCU's newest Disney+ series, giving particular credit to the cast for putting forth impressive and convincing performances in their roles. Thorne appears to have given Riri Williams life in her first-ever solo TV project, and Ramos' work as The Hood appears to have critics intrigued and excited to see more of the MCU's supernatural side.

Bringing back a few legacy plot points from the MCU's past while pushing the narrative forward for a young newcomer, viewers hope Ironheart will close out Phase 5 on a high note before the Multiverse Saga moves into its final Phase.

From there, Riri Williams will further cement her place in the greater MCU, with many hoping to see her team up with the franchise's other young heroes and Earth's Mightiest in later projects.

Featuring Dominique Thorne, Anthony Ramos, and Alden Ehrenreich, Ironheart is the MCU's final Phase 5 Disney+ show, giving Riri Williams her own solo adventure after Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Riri will continue along her journey at MIT while also returning to her Chicago roots, developing her technology as an unexpected magical force disrupts her life and puts her and the world in danger. Ironheart's first three episodes arrive on Disney+ on Tuesday, June 24, and the second three episodes debut one week later on Tuesday, July 1.