The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) established a high standard during its Infinity Saga, delivering blockbuster projects that largely resonated with audiences. However, the expansion following Avengers: Endgame led to a more inconsistent output across film and television.

Recent years have seen an uneven reception, highlighted by the mixed reviews for projects like Secret Invasion and Captain America: Brave New World, contrasted with successes such as Thunderbolts* and X-Men '97 season 1. While review aggregators like Rotten Tomatoes are not the sole measure of success, they clearly indicate a recent shift in momentum for Marvel Studios.

The MCU's Strong Start to 2026

Marvel has kicked off 2026 with an exceptional run, building on the anticipation generated by the four trailers for Avengers: Doomsday. This momentum has been solidified by two of the franchise's most praised recent releases: Wonder Man and Daredevil: Born Again season 2.

Critical Acclaim for New Series

Wonder Man captivated viewers with its meta narrative and largely self-contained adventure within the MCU. Strong performances from Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Ben Kingsley contributed to its positive critical and audience reception.

  • Wonder Man currently holds a 91% score from critics and 87% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes.

Daredevil: Born Again season 2 has also launched impressively, despite general audiences only having seen the initial episode. Critics, who have viewed all eight episodes, have lauded its character development and its successful continuation of the original series' strengths.

  • As of this writing, Daredevil: Born Again season 2 boasts scores of 95% from critics and 93% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes.

A Return to Consecutive Hits

This dual success marks the first time since the beginning of 2022 that the MCU has delivered two consecutive releases achieving 85% or better scores with both critics and the public. The last time this occurred was with Spider-Man: No Way Home and Moon Knight.

In fact, preceding these two hits, only four out of 26 MCU projects since Moon Knight had reached the 85% threshold. While many recent projects were generally well-received, they lacked the overwhelming adoration seen during the Infinity Saga, a trend that appears to be reversing in 2026.

Immediate Impact and Future Outlook

The success of Wonder Man was significant enough for Marvel to confirm that a second season is in development. Early reactions suggest that the remaining episodes of Daredevil: Born Again season 2 may elevate its already high Rotten Tomatoes score even further.

This current run positions Marvel Studios in the midst of its most positive creative stretch in at least four years.

The Positive Momentum Poised to Continue Through 2026

The wave of positive reception seems set to carry through the remainder of 2026, as Marvel Studios has a robust and exciting slate scheduled.

Upcoming Projects Generating Confidence

The upcoming lineup includes several highly anticipated titles designed to maintain this upward trajectory:

  • The Punisher: One Last Kill
  • X-Men '97 season 2
  • Spider-Man: Brand New Day
  • VisionQuest
  • Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man season 2
  • Avengers: Doomsday

The Punisher: One Last Kill, starring Jon Bernthal, has the potential to make this a three-project hot streak, given the affection for the anti-hero and the positive history of Special Presentations.

Confidence in Animated and Streaming Titles

VisionQuest is expected to mirror the success of WandaVision, with showrunner Terry Matalas adding confidence, as his recent season of Star Trek: Picard surpassed the 85% Rotten Tomatoes benchmark.

Second seasons for X-Men '97 (which already hit the benchmark in season one) and Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man are also slated for later this year. The animated Spider-Man series may see an even greater audience response now that its alternate Peter Parker storyline is established.

Film Blockbusters Solidifying the Return

The two major film releases are anticipated to fully cement the MCU's return to form. Notably, Thunderbolts* and The Fantastic Four: First Steps represent the studio's first back-to-back films achieving over 85% on Rotten Tomatoes since 2019's Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: Far From Home.

Confidence in Spider-Man: Brand New Day is bolstered by the success of Tom Holland's previous three Spider-Man outings. Furthermore, director Destin Daniel Cretton’s prior praised MCU work on Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Wonder Man adds further assurance for the upcoming film.