Disney+’s Divisive 4-Part MCU Series Deserves More Credit Than It Gets

For a series with only four episodes, Eyes of Wakanda has inspired a disproportionate amount of debate. Some have found that there was nothing to it; others have found that there was a grandeur in the project that was not found in previous Marvel productions, in that it allowed for a more elevated version of the story and an alternative view of the history of Wakanda, presenting it as being developed over time rather than solely during a single time period. This is not a seamless or expansive epic, and it was never trying to be, but reducing it to a minor animated side note misses what the series does well, which detractors don’t allow.

What makes Eyes of Wakanda worth watching is not that every episode lands with equal force, because they don’t, but that the series approaches the MCU from an angle that feels unexpectedly fresh. It uses the Hatut Zaraze and their missions across history to expand Wakanda’s mythology in ways the films only hinted at, while pairing that broader world-building with some of Marvel Animation’s most distinctive visual work to date. The result is imperfect, occasionally frustrating, but far more thoughtful than its divisive reputation suggests, with a 51% Popcornmeter average on Rotten Tomatoes. For a compact anthology dismissed by some as disposable, it has quite a lot on its mind.

What ‘Eyes of Wakanda’ Is Really About

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What seems straightforward at first glance becomes less so once one understands the context. Wakandan society has always kept its secrets safe; in this case, the safety of those secrets is entrusted to the Hatut Zaraze, covert agents who travel throughout the world to recover any vibranium artifacts that may have been stolen before their existence is made public. Every episode features a different historical event tied to one of an agent’s retrieval missions, set in another time period, such as Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, Ming Dynasty China, or Colonial Era Ethiopia. None of these events has a single unifying character guiding you from one to the next; rather, the connection is through Wakanda as a place, with its paranoia, discipline, and quiet belief that simply surviving at all may require decisions no one else has to bear.

That approach shifts the focus in a way the MCU rarely allows. You’re watching a system operate across centuries, through different people, different ideologies, different pressures. One episode centers on Noni, a disgraced Dora Milaje soldier chasing redemption through a near-impossible mission. Another follows an embedded agent navigating the Trojan War from the inside, playing both sides while trying not to lose himself in the process. Elsewhere, a more impulsive operative scrambles to clean up his own mistakes before they reach Wakanda’s leadership. By the time the finale arrives, the scope widens again, pulling past and future into the same conversation without overexplaining how everything fits together.

‘Eyes of Wakanda’ Gives the MCU Something It’s Been Missing

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The four-episode format is restrictive and often feels claustrophobic. The pacing of the stories is fast, with some elements moving so quickly that they miss their emotional targets. The greatest importance of plot and characterization lies between the opening and closing episodes. Middle episodes are generally less important than the opening and closing episodes; therefore, many middle episodes feature questionable plot structure and a lack of tonal balance between humorous and dramatic moments.

However, there is something refreshing about how each chapter stands alone. There is no need for backstory or entrenched continuity problems to solve. Each episode functions separately; entering, watching, and exiting with a clear understanding of what happened in both the beginning and end. Such clarity instills a quiet confidence in the series for some viewers, even if the individual episodes don’t achieve the same level of high. It also enables the series to try things different than traditional long-form storytelling, which often limits it. Different tones, stakes, and locations are explored in ways a long-running series might find difficult to test.

Critics may have mixed feelings about the piece’s narrative, but generally agree that it is one of Marvel Animation’s best animated productions so far (visually). The paintings for the series have been created in a range of styles, inspired by many artists, including Ernie Barnes and Julian Wiles. This creates a very interesting visual aesthetic throughout the series, giving it more depth and texture than you typically find in animated films. There seems to be an intention behind the use of light and color palettes, based on the specific places being displayed throughout the show.

Why This Divisive MCU Series Deserves More Credit

Image via Disney+

Much of the negative response stemmed from misaligned expectations: viewers anticipated something more like a traditional, consistent, character-led narrative (similar to Black Panther) with an emotional thread running from beginning to end. Eyes of Wakanda intentionally does not take this approach; instead, it presents a fragmented historical record that offers multiple perspectives on both what Wakanda is and the cost of keeping it secret from the world.

Not every audience member will appreciate this choice because it requires that they engage in a new way. This new form of engagement requires viewers to approach it from a historical perspective, rather than following a single character throughout their journey. However, this type of shift provides significant value to the franchise as it expands upon the MCU without overexplaining itself, allows audiences to tolerate uncertainty, and introduces morally ambiguous characters who exist outside clear categories.

While there may not be many episodes that land as a complete, Eyes of Wakanda still provides viewers with something of merit to hold on to, whether it be a visual representation of a theme, a connective thread, or lingering character(s) that stick with them far longer than originally anticipated. Considering the general critique of the franchise as overly formulaic, it seems there is more to its willingness to take creative risks than meets the eye.