I’m going to be honest with you and tell you that this is the third time I have written this editorial. It initially started as a review of the first three episodes of Ironheart, which also addressed the review bombing that occurred with that show, and how I felt it was a massive disservice to the show, and then expanded upon that. What started as a brief and straightforward review evolved into a lengthy editorial on the toxicity within the nerd community. This was the post I mentioned in my previous article, which a friend at work had read and suggested I start posting my reviews and thoughts on YouTube. To be honest, not many of the people on my Friends List are interested in discussing these sorts of opinions, so I ultimately deleted it. But I kept working on it because I thought it would make for a decent article. With all of that being said, let’s dive into the noxious side of our nerdy world.
For years, we’ve all had to deal with this unusual amount of negativity within the Nerd Kingdom. I say “unusual” because, given the material some fans become toxic over, it’s ridiculous. We’re talking about worlds with dragons, magic rings, space wizards, multiversal travel, space gems that grant god-like powers, angry green goliaths, billionaires who do good things… the list goes on. If we deconstruct these things we love, they are meant for one thing: to let us have fun. Unfortunately, there are some “fans” out there who seek to take that away from us with their hate, bigotry, and misogyny. The attack on Ironheart is just the latest in a long list of movies or TV shows that have felt the wrath of this particular subculture of people.
None of that is meant to say anything as simple as “if you dislike Ironheart, you’re a racist.” That is too cut-and-dry. Movies and TV shows are completely subjective. While I thoroughly enjoyed Ironheart, I’m not so naive as to think everyone should like it. This world is comprised of many diverse individuals with varied tastes. The people who watched it, didn’t like it, and reviewed it negatively are entitled to those opinions. Those aren’t the fans I take issue with.
The “fans” I take issue with are the people in this world who can’t accept when a movie or TV show features anyone that doesn’t look like them, act like them, or have their ideals. If it’s in any way “different,” it’s immediately labeled “woke” or some sort of “attack,” which is utterly ridiculous. So, what’s their move when a movie or show comes out that doesn’t fit what they deem to be “ok” or the “status quo?” They “review bomb” it. Before the show even dropped on Disney+, they bombarded Ironheart with terrible reviews to drive down its audience score. Some have attempted to conceal how their personal biases have influenced their reviews, with a frequent argument being that Disney is trying to replace Tony Stark or disrespect the character. A lot of these people specifically mention Riri, stating that Tony Stark would never have been Iron Man without his billions. These same people point to how he created the Iron Man suit in a cave “with a box of scraps.”
First of all, that is not what Obadiah was referring to when he said that line. He was talking about the miniaturized arc reactor in Tony’s chest. Secondly, Tony Stark built the Mark 1 only to escape captivity. Tony became Iron Man by continuing his work and creating the Mark 2 and subsequent models, which ultimately led to him becoming the hero he eventually became. The only way he was able to build these suits was because he had billions of dollars at his disposal. No matter what translucent mask they wear, terms like “woke” or “DEI” tend to creep into these reviews and completely negate anything they say. When these kinds of words find their way into anything, particularly film or TV reviews, the real issue these people have shines through.
A movie or TV show being attacked and unjustly being negatively reviewed might seem like “small potatoes,” but there’s a domino effect that happens when this happens. There are a lot of people who value these scores and use them to help decide what movies or shows they will watch. If they see a low audience score, that most likely turns them off to watching what they might find to be a great show, simply because a group of these people can’t handle change.
This, in turn, might cause a studio to stop making different and potentially good content. Not only do we stop getting new and interesting things, but they also send a message that any sort of diversity is a bad thing… and it’s not at all. Yeah, you can dismiss it with, “Well, they’re only exploiting diversity for financial gain.” I mean… yeah, probably. It’s kind of silly to think that any big corporation does anything they do for altruistic reasons (I mean this generally). That doesn’t change anything, though.
No matter the reasons, young boys and girls of color, people of any nationality, or anyone of any gender or sexual orientation deserve to see themselves represented in movies and TV shows. Why? Simply put… they exist too. It isn’t just white boys or middle-aged men (*waves*) that watch or read these things anymore. Likely, that was never the case. It’s just far more obvious in 2025.
I’ve seen this nonsense for a long time with plenty of other media. Movies like the 2016 Ghostbusters. Simply because they cast all women as the titular heroes, the vitriol aimed at that movie was so absurd. Yeah, the trailers didn’t help at all. And that remake of the classic song was… just terrible. The movie wasn’t great by any stretch, but it most certainly didn’t “ruin” any childhoods. Fan4stic also received similar hate when Michael B. Jordan was cast as Johnny Storm. Was it because he couldn’t pull off a character like Johnny Storm? Nope. Because, with every problem that movie had (which it had A LOT), he was the best part about it (in my opinion). It was because “but Johnny Storm is white.” Yeah? So what? As long as the character isn’t defined by the color of their skin, their gender, or their sexuality, why should it matter? If the actor can capture the essence of the character, that’s all that should matter. The same issues popped up when Idris Elba was cast in Thor. Just like the nonsense that happened when Kelly Marie Tran was given an important role in The Last Jedi.
There are a lot of these situations we’ve seen over the years, and we will continue to see them for years to come. We saw similar hate directed at James Gunn’s Superman film because of his comments on what he feels Superman represents. Not just for that reason, though. There has also been an unreal amount of hatred aimed at the 2025 relaunch of the DCU simply because Zack Snyder is no longer a part of it. That is the sillier of the reasons, but still a reason some people are using.
Look at Wonder Man as a future example. We’re about five months out from its debut, but I’ve even started to see the familiar patterns starting for the upcoming Disney+ series. Again, simply because of the color of his skin. I mentioned this in a comment on Facebook and was met by someone calling me an “idiot,” while another said it had “nothing to do with race,” and went on to argue that changing the character’s “look” would destroy his “rich history.”
While I might not be familiar with Wonder Man, I’m unable to see anything in the character’s history that indicates he has to be any particular race. We haven’t even seen an actual trailer for the show yet, so it’s hard to argue that they are changing the origin. I think it’s clear that they will have to change, not just his origin, but aspects of his story to fit the wider MCU. I feel, as long as the core of who the character is remains the same, then there isn’t anything inherently wrong with doing that.
For some reason, the reaction to Ironheart resonated with me. I think maybe it was the blatant racism and misogyny (more the former than the latter). They didn’t even wait until the show dropped on Disney+ before dropping their “reviews.” Which, to me, shows that they aren’t even hiding it at this point. It also bothered me because I feel like it’s a solid show that potentially a lot of people could’ve enjoyed. Instead of the focus being on Marvel Studios releasing something solid post-Endgame, it became all about a group of people’s personal political beliefs.
As I said, I liked Ironheart. Was it the best thing the MCU has to offer? No, not by a long shot. Is it one of their best post-Endgame releases? Yeah, I think so (to be fair, it’s a pretty low bar). I had fun watching it, was fully invested in it, and eagerly anticipated each episode. THAT’S all that should matter when you watch any movie or TV show. Someone’s bigotry or misogynistic mindset should play no part when enjoying these things. That’s especially true when the “things” are based in worlds of fantasy and superheroes. Unfortunately, these ideals tend to play into opinions far more often than they should, which is baffling to me. So, what’s the answer to this? I think it’s pretty simple: watch the trailer.
Rather than jumping online and reading reviews to form an opinion, give the trailer a watch. In a lot of cases, trailers do a sufficient job of giving you an idea of what a movie or TV show is all about. I mean, that’s kind of why they are put together. If it looks like something you’re going to like, give it a shot. Maybe the trailer was deceptive, and you hate it after watching it. It’s happened to all of us before. Maybe it wasn’t as exciting as you thought it would be. Perhaps the story was a drag, or the characters were boring. There are plenty of valid reasons to not like something.
However, if you watch that trailer and feel like it’s just not for you, then just don’t watch it. If you don’t watch it, then there’s no reason for you to review it. If your only thought is that it represents some sort of imagined “woke agenda,” then keep that silly negativity to yourself. All it does is threaten to rob a world of fun and wonder from all kinds of people. If it bothers you that badly, then pay it no attention. While reviews and ratings play a part, nothing quite compares to publicity and money.
The MCU, DCU, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and all of these other things that we love so much are meant to be an escape from our everyday lives. Sure, they all try to whip a little bit of a message in there when they can. But almost every form of art has always done that… even comic books. But they’ve always been about entertainment.
The world already isn’t a very fun place to be. It’s filled with division and unnecessary hatred from everyone. We all need an escape from it all. Be it a couple of hours with a movie or a few more from a TV show. Even if it is just someone enjoying watching the story of how a young genius is trying to become a superhero or an alien from another world choosing to protect humanity, the world needs “fun” now. We need these little moments where we can maybe forget the very real troubles that plague the world, even if for only a couple of hours.
But, hey, these are just my opinions. I’m under no impression that my words are going to change any minds. These have just been my thoughts for a while and, after what happened with Ironheart, I wanted to share these thoughts with my fellow nerds. I’ve got no issue discussing my opinions with all of my fellow nerds in the comments. I feel like I’ve kept my words respectful and simply ask that any commenter do the same. As I’ve said numerous times in this article, the world is meant to be a fun one to inhabit. I love talking nerdy nonsense with people. So, let’s just keep it all respectful