Now that Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is out in the wild for everyone to see, fans and critics have been weighing in with their opinions on the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s 28th feature-length installment, but one side of the divide is clearly enjoying the movie more than the other.
That’s not to say that Sam Raimi’s reality-hopping superhero caper is getting panned into oblivion, but the consensus has been steadily trending downward since the review embargo first lifted. At the time of writing, Multiverse of Madness holds a Rotten Tomatoes score of 77% with over 250 reviews and counting in the bag, but longtime MCU supporters might be furious to discover that the film is now rated lower than the polarizing Captain Marvel.
Brie Larson’s debut as Carol Danvers boasts a 79% score from a whopping 544 reviews, but the big difference lies in the user rating. Whereas the MCU fanbase has kept the Doctor Strange sequel flying high at an impressive 98%, the divisive Captain Marvel holds the second-lowest mark of audience adulation in the entire film and television history of the 14 year-old series, with its 45% putting it only a single percentile point above the derided Inhumans.
There’s always a disconnect between critics and fans, especially when it comes to franchise fare, but there’s going to be more than a few shocked faces among MCU enthusiasts when they find out Captain Marvel has the beating of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness on one important front.