Part 3/10:
Amidst this, critics and media outlets attempted to attribute the shortfall to "racist" review bombing, claiming that toxic fans were rejecting the film solely because of its casting choices, notably casting a Black actress in the lead role. However, within a week, evidence began to emerge that challenged this narrative. The film's poor performance could not be solely attributed to backlash, especially as the very next week saw the release of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, featuring a Black lead character, which performed remarkably well.