Marvel Studios made its long-awaited return to Disney+ last week with the premiere of Moon Knight. The Oscar Isaac-led show is not only the first Marvel Cinematic Universe project of the new year, but it is also the first time the MCU has introduced a rookie character in their own self-titled streaming series. Even without apparent ties to the greater cinematic universe, interest in the Marvel freshman is high.
That intrigue has been building for months. The first official Moon Knight trailer shattered WandaVision's record for most likes on YouTube, amassing over 240,000 more than Elizabeth Olsen's solo series. Within four days, the trailer had totaled over one million thumbs up.
While the show's overall performance remains to be seen, the premiere episode of Moon Knight continued its hot streak in a big way.
Moon Knight Impresses in Disney+ Debut
All eyes are on Steven Grant.
According to Samba TV, Moon Knight Episode 1 has been watched by "1.8 million US households" in its "first five days" of streaming on Disney+. This eclipses Marvel Studios' previous Disney+ premiere, as Hawkeye totaled "1.5 million US households" for its premiere episode.
Moon Knight also surpasses WandaVision, which was watched by "1.6 million US households" in its premiere, and sits even with The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which also totaled "1.8 million" households for its domestic debut. Tom Hiddleston's Loki remains the distant number one, as no show's premiere has come close to the God of Mischief's "2.5 million US households" for its pilot episode.
In the galaxy far, far away from the MCU, The Book of Boba Fett's first chapter drew "1.7 million US households" in its first five days streaming.
Major Momentum for Marvel's Moon Knight
Moon Knight is in a spot for success.
Marvel's live-action streaming projects have always sat in the comfortable seven figures upon their premieres, but having a first-year player like Steven Grant rubbing shoulders with titans like WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier bodes well for the series. However, as Arrow star Stephen Amell often professed during his CW show's run, Episode 2 viewership is even more crucial because it reveals how many people stuck around for more.
It's incredibly rare that a series sustains its premiere viewership. Loki, the crown prince of Disney+'s Marvel audience, dropped by 18% from its first episode to its third. Even with that mid-season lull, Loki viewership soared back up to a record "1.9 million US households" for its finale's first five days.
Premiere to finale drop-offs have occurred in every Marvel Studios Disney+ release thus far. WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier fell by five and six percent, respectively. Moon Knight will likely experience similar growing pains come mid-season, but if its finale audience flirts with Wanda Maximoff or Sam Wilson's numbers, Marvel will have another undisputed hit on its hands.
Moon Knight Episode 2 premieres this Wednesday, April 6, on Disney+.
MCU Writer, Editor, Podcaster
