Fantastic Four First Steps Debuts With Historically Low Disney+ Viewership Numbers

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has long dominated the global box office and subsequently defined the streaming market for cinematic releases. However, the latest figures released by Nielsen highlight a troubling trend for the franchise’s Disney+ performance, with the highly anticipated film, Fantastic Four: First Steps, landing at the absolute bottom of the historical streaming chart for an MCU theatrical debut.

The movie, which introduced the iconic quartet into the interconnected universe, garnered just 4.9 million Equivalent Completed Views (ECVs) in the United States during its first five days on the streaming platform. This number confirms the film's position as the weakest streaming debut for a major MCU theatrical release to date, according to Nielsen’s independent measurements.

The viewership for Fantastic Four: First Steps falls below the performance of several recent MCU releases, many of which had already signaled audience fatigue. The 4.9 million EVC figure shows a clear decline from its immediate predecessors and establishes a worrying new floor for the franchise's streaming power.

The film performed worse than both of its 2025 MCU predecessors. Thunderbolts, for example, had already faced scrutiny for its own low box office numbers, yet still managed to pull in 5.5 million EVCs in its first five days. Furthermore, Captain America: Brave New World also premiered higher than Fantastic Four: First Steps with 6.4 million. 

Compared to earlier films, First Steps' figures look even weaker. The Marvels, which is the MCU's biggest flop, still saw an equivalent of 5.3 million views during its first week of streaming. Eternals, despite its poor box office run, amassed 9.2 million. This makes the 4.9 million figure for Fantastic Four: First Steps look even worse, given that Fantastic Four is one of Marvel's most popular IPs.

The grim metrics surrounding the launch of Fantastic Four: First Steps stand in contrast to the unparalleled streaming success achieved by Deadpool & Wolverine in late 2024. The R-rated, multiverse-breaking team-up proved to be an overwhelming draw for subscribers, demonstrating that the audience still responds massively to superhero content.

Released just a year prior to the Fantastic Four debut, Deadpool & Wolverine amassed a staggering 19.4 million views globally during its first six days on Disney+ (one day more than the current list). This massive success confirmed the movie as one of the most-watched live-action films on the platform.

This huge disparity, with 19.4 million views in six days for Deadpool & Wolverine versus 4.9 million views in five days for Fantastic Four: First Steps, shows how difficult it is to capture the attention of audiences. MCU films need to be really good to get folks to watch them. 

Disney+’s First 5-Day Viewership Numbers For MCU Movies Released On A Wednesday (According To Nielsen)

• Black Panther: Wakanda Forever — 14.1M
• Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 — 10.9M
• Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness — 9.7M
• Eternals — 9.2M
• Captain America: Brave New World — 6.4M
• Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania — 6.1M
• Thunderbolts* — 5.5M
• The Marvels — 5.3M
• Black Widow — 5.1M
• The Fantastic Four: First Steps — 4.9M

Note: The above data does not include every MCU Disney+ release, as Nielsen/Disney has not released official total minutes watched for every movie in that 5-day window. Notable exclusions being Shang-Chi, Thor: Love and Thunder and Deadpool and Wolverine.

Will The MCU’s Disney+ Viewership Improve In 2026?

The historically low debut of Fantastic Four: First Steps naturally raises questions about the long-term health of the MCU’s streaming performance. However, looking ahead at the confirmed 2026 slate, it is highly likely that this trend of declining viewership will be reversed, driven by a pivot back to the franchise’s most established and successful IPs.

The 2026 lineup is almost entirely composed of high-profile sequels and returning, critically acclaimed characters, virtually eliminating the mid-level introductions that have struggled to engage subscribers.

The theatrical schedule is anchored by two immense films: Spider-Man: Brand New Day and the franchise-redefining event, Avengers: Doomsday, which is already hitting new milestones. The return of Tom Holland’s Peter Parker, a figure whose last solo film broke records, is a guaranteed massive streaming draw. 

This will be followed by a primary Avengers film, a property that inherently drives peak viewership by acting as a culmination of the entire saga. The return of heavy-hitting characters and the expected Doctor Doom storyline will ensure these films set new, high benchmarks for minutes watched when they hit Disney+.