The Marvel Cinematic Universe’s latest offering, The Marvels, has garnered attention for all the wrong reasons. In just a few days, the teaser trailer for the film has become the MCU’s most disliked trailer on YouTube.
While some criticisms have focused on oversaturation and weak storytelling in recent MCU projects, others have been rooted in bad faith and bigotry.
The first Captain Marvel film faced a similar backlash, as it was the first solo female-led superhero movie in the MCU. The sequel seems to be facing more of the same, with a cast that features a white woman (Brie Larson), a Black woman (Teyonah Parris), and a young Pakistani-Canadian woman (Iman Vellani).
The backlash follows the studio’s struggle to replicate the success of Phase 3, which peaked with Avengers: Endgame in 2019.
It’s possible that some of the backlash is due to bots or trolls artificially inflating negative reviews. However, there are concerns that a significant portion of the hate is rooted in racism and misogyny, as some people believe that the MCU’s shift towards more diverse leads has led to a dip in popularity.
This belief is not new; when Captain Marvel released in 2019, star Brie Larson faced a vitriolic hate campaign from those who believed that the MCU did not need a female-led superhero movie. Fellow MCU stars Don Cheadle and Clark Gregg publicly defended Larson against the hate she faced.
The backlash against The Marvels trailer is a reminder that bigotry is still a pervasive issue in society. The MCU has made strides towards more representation and inclusivity, but it seems that some people are still resistant to change.
The studio and its stars have shown that they will not back down in the face of hate, but it’s clear that there is still a long way to go towards true equality in the entertainment industry.
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