Ironheart earns mixed first reactions, as early viewers can't decide if the Marvel show is a "disappointment" or "better than I expected"

First reactions for Marvel Phase 5 show Ironheart are in, and they're decidedly mixed.

The show picks up with Riri Williams in the aftermath of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and it sees the new hero attempt to build something "iconic" – with the shadowy help of mysterious newcomer The Hood.

"Even though I’m not personally the biggest fan of blending tech and mysticism, #Ironheart turned out better than I expected – especially in the last couple episodes," writes ComicBook's Chris Killian. "What really landed for me was how it ties back to the original Iron Man adding an unexpected layer of legacy to RiRi’s journey. And without spoiling anything, there’s a character introduced late in the season that really makes the show stand out."

"The first three episodes of #Ironheart are out tomorrow, and your resident Marvel cynic is here to say: it's quite good!" is the verdict of Collider's Maggie Lovitt. "It's a shame the series has been in flux, because Disney Plus has something great on their hands. Dominique Thorne is pure dynamite. Alden Ehrenreich is brilliantly cast."

"Oh, I can talk about #Ironheart now? I've seen all 6 episodes. I'm a bit surprised Marvel didn't market this more. It starts pretty strong and gets better and better as the series progresses," says YouTuber Adam Hlaváč.

"#Ironheart is a spectacular dose of Black girl magic. One of Marvel's best shows. Filled with charming, likable characters. From the heroes to the villains, everyone is magnetic. Dominique Thorne and Alden Ehrenreich are outstanding. Anthony Ramos is in rare form. Funny, grounded, and superpowerful. Some clever MCU tie-ins. A VERY bold ending too!" says journalist Jonathan Sim.

However, not everyone agrees. "#Ironheart have some fun moments but it's never interesting enough nor it manages to stick the landing," says The Hollywood Handle. "Bland characters and a super uninteresting plot that doesn't know where it wants to go. A disappointment overall."

"#Ironheart suffers from too few episodes to dynamically explore the interesting ideas of access and privilege being discussed," says critic Adam Patla. However, Dominique Thorne and Alden Ehrenreich lead this show toward a satisfying conclusion that left me excited for Marvel's next steps."

"#Ironheart is a fine series! I really wanted to love but came away not feeling much," says critic Zach Pope. "VFX, Action, & some new additions of magic mythology to the world of the MCU stand out (THE HOOD + FINALE = AWESOME) but the character arcs feel at a standstill by the end & don't go anywhere."

"Oh, we can talk about #Ironheart now. It's another meeting that could have been a memo, a two-hour film stretched out to six hours of content," says journalist Darren Mooney. "The first half is rough, but it evolves into something interesting in the home stretch, something close to the yin to Sinners' yang." Sinners director Ryan Coogler is an executive producer on Ironheart.

Ironheart hits Disney Plus this June 24 in the US and June 25 in the UK. In the meantime, check out our Ironheart release schedule to keep up to date, or our guides to watching the Marvel movies in order or all the upcoming Marvel movies and shows to keep up with the MCU.