Best: Marvel does representation right with Echo
It might not be what Marvel fans were expecting, but Echo was an excellent example of how to handle representation correctly. The character Maya Lopez (Alaqua Cox) was groundbreaking in comics, but seeing the studio commit to hiring an actor who is Native American, deaf, and an amputee, and a crew that were part of the community they were depicting, is a whole other level.
It's common for people to ask why this kind of own-voices representation is needed, and Echo answers with an incredibly powerful, authentic story. Indigenous writers have spoken about how well the show depicts both the specifics of Maya's culture and broader Indigenous experiences, from the detail work in the costumes to the historical legacies she represents.
The narrative against representation has often been that it will distract from telling a compelling story, but Echo is the ultimate counterexample. Maya's Deafness adds layers to her relationship with Wilson Fisk, because he only uses technology to communicate with her while her family uses ASL. She has learned how to use her prosthetic to her advantage in a fight. These elements make a richer story, distinct from the now-repetitive tropes Marvel frequently relies on.
Worst: Madame Web
We'll go into more detail about why Madame Web failed, but it seems best to start off by acknowledging that the whole thing was a mistake. It has a 11% critical score from Rotten Tomatoes and is pretty universally hated by the fans. It has virtually nothing to do with the actual comic character, but that's far from its only problem.
Madame Web feels like a cheap prequel leeching off of a better movie, but that original movie doesn't exist. The teases with the future Spider-Women never build up to anything of note, and the titular character's abilities make no sense. That's not even mentioning the ridiculous dialogue, which is so far from how real people speak that it's laughable.
Honestly, it would be great if we could forget the movie in its entirety. Film critic Robbie Collin described the movie as "a sort of two-hour explosion in a boringness factory, in which the forces of dullness and stupidity combine in new and infinitely perturbing ways." There isn't really a better way to explain why Madame Web was one of the worst Marvel moments in 2024.