MCU fans are divided ever since the Infinity Saga ended with Avengers: Endgame. And ever since Phase Four began, some fans complained that Marvel is going ‘woke’ or that the characters don’t resonate simply because the characters are women. But one MCU fan wanted to debunk everyone’s theories of the Multiverse Saga being a flop by using a powerful tool: math.
But are OP’s calculations correct, or did they miss the point?
Reddit user u/7Big_Steve7 has decided to calculate the average ranking that each of the Marvel phases received by both critics and audiences. Their data is based on the current rankings found on each of the movie’s Rotten Tomatoes pages. Based on their calculations, Phase Four has received the highest average rating compared to its predecessors, and it hasn’t even finished yet.
While some fans were very impressed with OP, others wondered why they didn’t use box office numbers. OP argued that if they used box office data, they wouldn’t be able to include Disney Plus’ series such as Loki. They also argued that box office numbers do not equal good writing, but fans said the same can be said for Rotten Tomatoes rankings.
Meanwhile, others told OP that Rotten Tomatoes is not a good source when comparing movies and TV shows as it could skew the data. They also pointed out that Rotten Tomatoes only takes the average review data and they should have looked elsewhere. This led to one Reddit user recalculating the results by removing the Disney Plus series, which in turn puts Phase Four under Phase Two and Three.
Fans reminded OP that people’s views on films and TV shows are subjective and it shouldn’t be taken lightly, especially if they’re basing their results on Rotten Tomatoes. In the end, it’s what people enjoy, and critics’ thoughts are different from the audiences’ tastes.
While there are people who aren’t keen on Phase Four due to a massive change in the superhero lineup, it’s no secret that there are some who do enjoy the new content. And while fans can use math as many times as they want to prove a point, in the end, it’s all subjective.