It came as a surprise to many when the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s newest movie Eternals became the multi-billion dollar franchise’s lowest-rated movie ever. Some blame these reviews on the movie’s unique formula that makes it feel removed from the rest of the MCU and others say it’s due to the movie’s portrayal of more minority groups than ever before. Either way, coming from a long-time Marvel fan, this movie doesn’t deserve the hate it’s getting.

Before comparing it to the other MCU movies, it’s important to take a step back and look at the movie as its own individual piece of cinema. The storyline is compelling. A group of immortal superheroes must reunite to defeat an evil group they thought they vanquished a long time ago. Even though it sounds straightforward, the group finds themselves at odds with each other, and their morals are challenged when they must figure out what they are really fighting for… as well as who it is they’re fighting.

However, if we want to compare it to the other MCU movies, Eternals still stands its ground. The movie uses the forever-loved superhero movie cliche where a group of super-powered individuals, each with their own unique abilities, come together to defeat a villain none could defeat on their own. The difference with this movie is that these heroes must reunite, rather than come together for the first time, meaning relationships and teamwork abilities have already been established. To bring back that element of relationship development, however, the characters learn things about each other they never knew before, and some are revealed to not even be the people they were thought to be.

So if this movie hits the necessary elements to be a fun and compelling movie, then why did it get such terrible reviews? Unfortunately, the most likely answer is because of the movie’s diverse representation. Eternals feature’s the MCU’s first deaf superhero, Makari, as well as featuring openly gay characters and many racial groups. Therefore, anyone who can appreciate this movie’s much-needed diversity will find that Marvel’s Eternals is just as good as any other Marvel movie and definitely worth a watch.