Initial viewership stats onDaredevil: Born Again’s premiere suggest the show has had a strong start for Disney+, but has tracked below last year’sAgatha All AlongandThe Acolyte. This year has been a delightful one for fans of the classicMarvel Netflix TV shows, with Charlie Cox’s Matt Murdock starring in a continuation of that earlier show.Marvel has been building up to this since December 2021, when Cox returned inSpider-Man: No Way Homeand Vincent D’Onofrio appeared inHawkeye.
According toVariety, Disney has confirmedDaredevil: Born Again’s premiere drew 7.5 million views in its first five days on Disney+. That makesDaredevil: Born Againthe biggest streaming debut of the year for Disney (although, granted, it is currently March). Although Disney don’t routinely report viewership, this does track behind third-party reports forAgatha All Along’s premiere (9.3 million views in the first five days), and even the now-canceledStar WarsTV showThe Acolyte(11.1 million views).
Disney define a view as “total stream time divided by runtime,” which isn’t necessarily the same metric as those provided by other firms; this naturally means comparisons are inexact.
What Does Daredevil: Born Again’s Viewership Mean For Disney+?
Daredevil: Born Again’s performance is, naturally, generating a lot of discussion among the fandom. At the same time, though, online discussion often misses some important points in terms of viewership.The Acolyte’s $230 million budgetmeant the Disney+ TV show really needed to be a massive hit to justify the cost, and the cancelation wasn’t much of a surprise.Daredevil: Born Againis believed to have cost somewhere in the region of $200 million, meaning the bar for success is much lower.
Marvel Fans Think A Daredevil: Born Again Easter Egg References Miles Morales' Spider-Man But I’m Not Convinced
Daredevil: Born Again’s alleged reference to Miles Morales may not be as simple as it sounds, as there’s one detail that may debunk all fan theories.
Netflix, still the industry leader in streaming, segment viewers into 2,000 different “taste communities” based on viewing habits and interests. Shows are commissioned precisely to draw in the different taste communities, meaning raw viewership isn’t the be all and end all. Disney+ doesn’t have such a data-driven approach, but the basic principle will still apply.
Our Take On Daredevil: Born Again’s Performance
An Exciting Step Forward For Marvel Studios
Right now, it does feel as though Marvel Studios need a strong win. There have been some recent hits -Deadpool & Wolverinesprings to mind - butthe MCU’s reputation has dwindled through Phases 4 and 5. Still, it feels as thoughDaredevil: Born Againis a step in the right direction - a move away from the more formulaic approach, recognizing that superhero movies and TV shows can have a very different tone and style. The viewership figures are interesting, but the raw comparisons aren’t as informative as they seem. What matters is that the show is a tremendous one.
