Marlon Wayans has defended Him following a string of poor reviews.

The 53-year-old actor - who plays a legendary NFL player in the new sports horror opposite Tyriq Withers as his protege - encouraged fans not to pay too much attention to what critics have said about the film, which currently has a 28% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and to make up their own minds.

Sharing screenshots of other low Rotten Tomatoes scores for some of his previous work which have gone on to still be cult or commercial hits, Marlon wrote on Instagram: "Just to be clear…I respect critics. Their job is to critique.

"I respect their work. It shapes our industry. But an opinion does not always mean it's everyone's opinion. Some movies are ahead of the curve. Innovation is not always embraced and art is to be interpreted and it's subjective.

"I've had a career of making classic movies that weren't critically received and those movies went on to be classics. So don't take anyone's opinion just go see for yourself. Love to all. 'Him' in theaters now."

One of the films Marlon highlighted was White Chicks, and his post came a few months after he declared "it's time" for him and his brother Shawn to make a sequel to the 2004 action-comedy.

Speaking on Good Morning America earlier this year, Marlon said: "[Fans always ask] 'When are you doing the sequel?' They love that movie.

"Hey, you know, I think it's time. Let's get Scary Movie 6 done, and then we'll go and bring out White Chicks 2."

White Chicks - which also featured Terry Crews, Jaime King and Brittany Daniel - starred the Wayans brothers as a pair of FBI agents who go undercover as white women to foil a kidnapping plot.

While the whiteface aspect of the movie is now viewed as inappropriate by some, Marlon previously insisted that cancel culture should have no place in comedy.

He told Buzzfeed: "I don't know what planet we're on, where you think people don't need laughter, and that people need to be censored and cancelled. If a joke is gonna get me cancelled, thank you for doing me that favour."

Marlon added it was "sad" that society was now "in this place where we can't laugh anymore".

He said: "I ain't listening to this damn generation. I ain't listening to these folks: These scared-a** people, these scared executives.

"Y'all do what you want to do? Great. I'm still gonna tell my jokes the way I tell them. And if you want to make some money, jump on board. And if not, then I'll find a way to do it myself.

"I know my audience. My audience comes to my shows every weekend and they leave feeling great and laughing. One thing about the Wayans, we've always told the worst joke the best way."