It’s undeniable that Danny Rand/Iron Fist is the weak point of Marvel’s Netflix universe, but now statistics are proving that Iron Fist actually dragged down the entire Defenders miniseries!
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Fizziology just did a study on viewer responses to The Defenders and found that actor Finn Jones’ Danny Rand/Iron Fist actually had a very adverse affect on the series. Here are the findings:
“Daredevil drove the most conversation, making up 20% of the show’s overall buzz. Danny Rand/Iron Fist was the second highest driver of conversation. However, buzz about Iron Fist skewed negative/mixed as viewers said he ruined the show. Some joked about wanting to play a drinking game to get through his parts.”
Top Mentions (% of overall conversation)
- Daredevil (20%)
- Danny Rand/Iron Fist (12%)
- Jessica Jones (10%)
- Luke Cage (7%)
- Elektra (1%)
- The Punisher (1%)
- Alexandra (1%)
- Claire Temple (
The Unlikable Iron Fist
Poor Danny Rand has had a hard time of things ever since the Iron Fist solo series was released. Even though Iron Fist has a much bigger viewership than most fans think, when compared to the rest of The Defenders team members’ solo series – or the crossover miniseries – Iron Fist isn’t even on the same plane:
- Daredevil Season 1 – 98%
- Jessica Jones – 92%
- Daredevil Season 2 – 74%
- Luke Cage – 96%
- Iron Fist – 17%
- The Defenders – 75%
Most of the blame is placed on the depiction of Danny Rand, who comes off as a petulant (and annoying) child most of the time. That bad attitude, combined with the random PTSD flares, and silly-sounding lore of K’un-Lun and The Immortal Iron Fist, makes the character a hard sell with audiences.
SPOILERS Follow…
After The Defenders, Iron Fist is in a position for some much-needed character evolution. With the heroes of NYC thinking that Daredevil is dead (Read more on that situation HERE), Iron Fist has taken to full-on vigilantism, prowling the streets at night. There are even teases that he may be donning a costume.
Seeing the character fully embrace his heroic identity and leaving his personality flaws behind is pretty much the challenge that Iron Fist season 2 needs to rise to. Finn Jones is already training hard to improve the series’ action scenes, and with a new showrunner coming onboard, it seems like some smart changes are certainly in the works.
Find out more about both The Defenders and Iron Fist by visiting our database pages, below. Both series are currently streaming on Netflix.
