Iron Fist: Fans take on the film critics

Fans have come to the rescue of Netflix's new Marvel series Iron Fist after it was savaged by critics.

Iron Fist, which began last week, stars Game of Thrones star Finn Jones as billionaire Danny Rand, who returns to New York 15 years after he disappeared in a plane crash as a child.

Now a martial arts master with an abnormally powerful right fist, he is trying to reconnect with his past while using his powers against the criminal element corrupting the city.

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What the critics say

Reviewers had very little positive to say about the series following its premiere, with Vox even dismissing it as an "ill conceived poorly written disaster".

Much of the criticism focused on the casting of Jones following an online campaign or an Asian-American to be given the role, despite Danny not being an Asian character.

Sophie Gilbert in The Atlantic wrote that "Iron Fist's decided unwokeness is notable, particularly when Danny lectures Colleen, who is of East Asian descent, on the right way to channel her internal force".

However, this was "just one of a list of flaws", she added, "with Jones's miscasting the most obvious issue".

Jonathan L Fischer in Slate said he could think of "no reason Iron Fist would have been worse off for giving the part to an Asian actor", but added it probably wouldn't have made the show any more "comprehensible or exciting".

What the fans say

The Daily Telegraph reports that some angry fans have tweeted reviewers directly to complain about their lacklustre reviews, calling them "stupidly wrong".

Screen Rant adds that the critical reaction has had no impact on ratings and that less than a week after it first hit the streaming service, the show is Netflix's second-most popular Marvel series.

What the lead actor has to say

Jones deleted his Twitter account over the controversy about his casting, but also had an interesting take on why Donald Trump might be responsible for the bad reviews.

Admitting that Danny "isn't exactly the easiest character to root for", he told Radio Times: "I think the world has changed a lot since we were filming that television show.

"I'm playing a white American billionaire superhero at a time when the white American billionaire archetype is public enemy number one, especially in the US."