I did make a point early on that many seemed to be projecting their own wishes onto the then unpublished story and assuming a high profile writer would do all the things they have wanted for so long. The fact that many of them wanted entirely different and contradictory things was always a sign that in the medium term a number of them would be disappointed. Yet somehow each of these people thought they were representative of fandom at large.
One specific poster (no idea who it was now) tried to tell me that Hickman would respect canon unlike other recent writers, and seemed unconvinced when I pointed out Hickman’s philosophy on canon was probably contradictory to their views given his ending in S.H.I.E.LD. which is itself an exploration and critique of the two standard approaches to canon, neither of which Hickman seems impressed by.
I was always expecting this kind of controversy, but on the other hand I was also expecting broad critical acclaim and high sales. The way I see it, this is how books should be written. A nod towards canon while doing its own thing and moving the story in new directions.