There’s a belief in some quarters of the Marvel Cinematic Universe fandom that critics are harsher on the franchise than they need to be, but even if that does hold any water, it hasn’t done a thing to quell the discontent that greeted the first episode of Secret Invasion.
While the premiere certainly had its moments, it wasn’t quite the top-tier political thriller the world was promised, although there’s still five weeks left to change that. It’s also worth noting that critics only had access to the first two installments prior to release, so there’s always the chance its approval ratings will creep up.
That being said, Secret Invasion has been doing nothing but slipping downwards on Rotten Tomatoes, to the extent it’s now tied with Thor: Love and Thunder on a middling 63 percent score. In terms of canon, only Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and Eternals have fared worse, but it’s the audience score that might be the more damning indictment.
On the surface, a 76 user average seems okay, but when you remember that’s actually lower than Love and Thunder while also being below the likes of the aforementioned Quantumania and Eternals with only six MCU projects being rated lower – two of which are Captain Marvel and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law – the apathy becomes increasingly clear.
That’s not to say Secret Invasion won’t end with a bang to end up securing a reputation substantially better to the one it currently has, but it does indicate that it’s going to take an uphill battle to get there.
