Marvel's Final 2024 Project Pushes She-Hulk Out Of The MCU's Rotten Tomatoes Bottom 3 As Early Scores Drop

By Simon Gallagher

Published Dec 28, 2024

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Thread 11

The early review scores on Rotten Tomatoes for the review bombing from s.

MCU's lowest-rated show Secret Invasion (44%) and She-Hulk (32%) have lower Audience Scores.

What What If...? Season 3's Rotten Tomatoes Score Means

Perhaps thanks to the time of year, or the release method (What If...? season 3 has released an episode per day since December 22), there are only 12 critics reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, with over 100 scores. More may follow after the season finale, as outlets who didn't get preview access run their reviews, but the early picture tends to reflect the overall score trend.

The MCU's TV shows have typically score quite strongly, with an average Critics Score of 84% and an average Audience Score of 75%. What If...? season 3 currently sits below both and well below the critical high-points of X-Men '97 (99%) and Ms. Marvel (98%). The show has followed a consistent trend with audience scores, dropping from season 1's 92% to 65% for season 2, and now the lower point of 56% so far. Critics have been less consistent, with season 2 scoring higher than season 1.

MCU TV Shows - Rotten Tomatoes Data
Title	Release Date	Critics Score	Audience Score
WandaVision	January 15, 2021	92%	88%
The Falcon & The Winter Soldier	March 19, 2021	85%	81%
Loki Season 1	June 9, 2021	92%	90%
What If...? Season 1	August 11, 2021	89%	92%
Hawkeye	November 24, 2021	92%	88%
Moon Knight	March 30, 2022	86%	88%
Ms Marvel	June 8, 2022	98%	80%
She-Hulk: Attorney At Law	August 18, 2022	79%	32%
Secret Invasion	June 21, 2023	52%	44%
Loki Season 2	October 5, 2023	82%	82%
What If...? Season 2	December 22, 2023	90%	65%
Echo	January 9, 2024	70%	60%
X-Men '97	March 20, 2024	99%	91%
Agatha All Along	September 18, 2024	84%	83%
What If...? Season 3	December 22, 2024	75%	56%

Select reviews reveal the divisive nature of What If...? season 3. ComingSoon's review outright calls the series "bad", ComicBookMovie calls it "disappointing", and my review for ScreenRant called it "frustrating", but others like Empire hail it another strong outing, JoBlo labeled it a "thrilling conclusion", and Collider, MovieWeb both scored it a solid 7 out of 10, with CBR's episodic reviews scoring 8 out of 10 on average.

Audience Scores are similarly split, with the lower end bemoaning the focus on "less interesting" characters, and failing to capitalize on the promise of What If...?'s concept. Higher scores again focus on the entertainment factor, with several highlighting the promise of a connection to Secret Wars.

Our Take On What If...? Season 3's Review Scores

What If...? season 3 certainly has its moments, and it absolutely delivers on the promise of doing something different to the rest of the MCU, but the bold decision to ignore actual questions any MCU fan would ask have ultimately hurt it for some fans and reviewers. You can't knock the opportunity to see returning characters who feel like they've been left out in the cold, like Shang-Chi and Moon Knight, but they're dramatically different versions than we're used to, so it's not as satisfying as a real return. Again, there's a very good chance the current Rotten Tomatoes scores change after the finale, but for now, they feel appropriate.