Ms. Marvel is the most critically acclaimed Disney+ MCU show and even beat giants like Loki and WandaVision, but the audience score of the show on sites like Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb is surprisingly low. While it’s true that sometimes viewers don’t resonate with titles that critics rave about, that isn’t remotely the case with Ms. Marvel because it’s actually quite good and well-made. The series is a victim of review-bombing, and there was significant negativity around Ms. Marvel even before its premiere.

Ms. Marvel stars Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan, a Pakistani-American teenager who gains superpowers through a magical bangle. Vellani shares many similarities with the character, like being a Muslim and a die-hard Marvel fan, and her lead performance is probably the best thing about Ms. Marvel, yet she and the series are facing the ire of online trolls.

One day it’s due to Marvel pushing woke agenda or forcing diversity the next it’s for altering Kamala Khan’s powers. Baseless toxic criticism of Ms. Marvel is overshadowing the show’s achievements, but Vellani knows better than to pay heed to trolls. In a recent interview with NME, Vellani acknowledged the negative reactions but knows she struck a chord with the right audience and is proud to play a superhero from an underrepresented community.

"I know they’re there. It’s something we knew was going to happen going into this. It happened when the comic books came out in 2014. I’m all for constructive criticism as long as people have a legitimate concern or suggestion or something real. Then I care. But all the hatred I’ve seen has no basis, no merit, it’s just purely for the sake of hating – and that’s fine. You’re not gonna impress everyone. We hit our target audience and we hit an entirely new audience that didn’t know they were gonna fall in love with this character – people who have never seen themselves represented in a positive light before."

As for the review-bombing, it is becoming quite common nowadays and previously affected Moon Knight over its mention of the Armenian Genocide. Captain Marvel also faced a similar fate in 2019 after sexist criticism of Brie Larson but went on to make over $1.1 billion worldwide anyway. Thankfully, Vellani refrains from using social media and is unaware of the vitriol directed at her and Ms. Marvel but thinks it’s laughable.

"I’m not on social media. I hear things that my mother tells me though. It’s honestly quite laughable and I think change is scary for a lot of people. And having a show that surrounds a 16-year-old girl who’s Pakistani and Muslim and a superhero is scary for a lot of people. I think this is just gonna rip the Band Aid off and hopefully people will fall in love with her."

Related: Ms. Marvel Debuts With Lowest Viewership of Any Live-Action Marvel Show

Iman Vellani Will Reprise Her Role As Ms. Marvel In The Marvels

Iman Vellani has received praise for her commanding on-screen presence and portrayal of Kamala Khan in Ms. Marvel, and she will return to wow the fans again in The Marvels. A sequel to 2019’s Captain Marvel, the film stars Brie Larson as Carol Danvers, along with Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau.

The Marvels is directed by Nia DaCosta (Candyman) from a screenplay by Megan McGonnell (WandaVision) and is expected to be the final film of phase four of the MCU. There is a lot of anticipation around The Marvels, and Iman Vellani is excited to lead the film alongside Brie Larson. The Marvels will hit the screens next summer on July 28, 2023.

In the meantime, be sure to check out the Ms. Marvel finale set to air on Disney+ on July 13.