Warning: This article contains spoilers for "Episode 1" of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
Over the past weekend, Marvel Studios brought the debut episode of its second exclusive series on Disney+, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. This comes after an epic run for the MCU's first project of 2021, WandaVision, which earned rave reviews and kept fans on their toes thanks to new reveals that came with each passing week.
That same hype is quickly building for Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan's solo series, which catches up with Captain America's two closest allies in the months following the events of Avengers: Endgame. Even in an episode in which the two leads didn't interact with each other once, the stage is still set for an epic journey full of top-notch action and real world-building in the coming weeks.
Not only did the first episode lay the foundation for a monumental run over the next five weeks, it set a new standard for its streaming home as well.
SAM AND BUCKY BREAKING RECORDS
An official press release from Disney revealed that "Episode 1" of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier ranked as the most-watched series premiere in Disney+ history during its opening weekend. The show topped the numbers from the Season Two premiere of Lucasfilm's The Mandalorian and the premiere of Marvel Studios' WandaVision.
ALL MARVEL DOES IS WIN
After the success Marvel Studios saw from WandaVision to kick off Phase 4, it was clear that the team's new era of storytelling on Disney+ was off to a flying start. That continues to be the case quite literally considering that the MCU's second Disney+ property joins the first one by having two of the top three most-watched debut episodes in the streaming platform's 16-month history.
With no new MCU movies releasing until at least May 2021, fans at least have new material to enjoy on Disney+ every week that brings a comparable level of quality, both in terms of production and storytelling. Early reviews heaped praise onto this first episode of Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes' six-episode outing, and it's evident that the general public fully shares that sentiment.
As more Marvel Studios productions come to Disney+, it will be exciting to find out how the impressive viewership numbers translate to critical success. The Mandalorian won five Emmy awards for its work in Season 2, and MCU fans are hoping that this franchise's Disney+ entries will accomplish similarly great things when the time comes.
For now, the debut episode of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is available to stream on Disney+. "Episode 2" will arrive on the streaming platform on Friday, March 26.
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