New data revealed that Marvel Television's latest Disney+ original, Wonder Man, accrued weak ratings in its first two weeks on streaming. Ironically, for a Disney+ series that had wrapped filming almost two years before its release, Wonder Man felt like it came and went overnight, largely because it consisted of only eight 30-minute episodes. As a Marvel Spotlight project, the series was rather limited in its connections to the wider MCU and, despite strong reactions from fans and critics alike, that seems to have been reflected in its viewership.
According to data uncovered by Luminate and shared by Variety, Wonder Man picked up 549.6 million minutes-watched in its first 10 days streaming on Disney+ (January 27 - February 5). From that total, 135 million minutes were consumed in the first three days, rising to 414.6 million minutes in the seven days that followed.
In just its second week on Luminate's viewership tracking chart (February 6 - 12), Wonder Man dropped out of the Top 10. That leaves its viewership data unclear but confirms it fell below Netflix's His & Hers and its 287.8 million minutes-watched, which clung onto the #10 spot a full month after it debuted on January 8.
Luminate's historic reported viewership data for previous MCU Disney+ series, including Agatha: All Along, sheds some light on how this opening fared versus other Marvel series. In its first nine days, the WandaVision spin-off picked up 377 million minutes-watched but did so with just three episodes out, against Wonder Man's eight-in-one binge.
Daredevil: Born Again also exceeded Wonder Man, with its opening three chapters accruing 629.4 million minutes-watched in the show's first 10 days from March 4 - 13. It should be noted that Born Again reached that number with far longer episodes than Wonder Man, ranging from 45 minutes to an hour.
Luminate isn't the only streaming data provider; Nielsen also tracks viewership but has yet to reveal its numbers for Wonder Man. Even with higher Luminate numbers than Wonder Man, Born Again failed to reach Nielsen's charts for the first time in MCU history, indicating the Hollywood satire won't either.
Agatha All Along debuted at #8 on the Nielsen originals charts with 426 million minutes-watched based on its tracking but climbed to 744 million minutes-watched and the #5 spot on the originals chart based on the finale. That said, because of their different tracking methods, Luminate and Nielsen's data aren't comparable.
Having already dipped out of Luminate's charts in its second week, Wonder Man hasn't enjoyed similar week-to-week growth. This is likely due to its binge-release format, despite overwhelmingly strong reactions.
Despite the initially bleak picture of Daredevil: Born Again's viewership, the show already scored an early Season 3 renewal at Disney+ ahead of its return on March 24. This should raise hope for Wonder Man's future, especially after scooper Daniel Richtman stated that Marvel Studios is "very close" to renewing the show.
Find out the five MCU projects where Wonder Man could appear next.
Nielsen's Disney+ Data Reveals the MCU's Decline (And What Should Change)
Nielsen's minutes-watched data for Daredevil: Born Again is unavailable, as it never made the Top 10, unlike every other live-action MCU Disney+ show. Still, the confirmed first-week data for every other show paint the picture that Marvel Studios' streaming venture peaked in 2021 around Loki's first outing, eventually sinking toward a plateau and, more recently, a full-blown decline:
- WandaVision - 434 million minutes (two-episode premiere)
- The Falcon and the Winter Soldier - 495 million minutes
- Loki Season 1 - 731 million minutes
- Hawkeye - 852 million minutes (two-episode premiere)
- Moon Knight - 419 million minutes
- Ms. Marvel - 249 million minutes
- She-Hulk - 390 million minutes
- Secret Invasion - 461 million minutes
- Loki Season 2 - 446 million minutes
- Echo - 731 million minutes (five-episode binge)
- Agatha All Along - 426 million minutes (two-episode premiere)
- Daredevil: Born Again - under 419 million minutes (two-episode premiere)
- Ironheart - 526 million minutes (three-episode premiere)
Beyond the generally bleak perspective Nielsen offers on the MCU's TV shows, it's clear that audiences haven't resonated as much with the brand's binge releases during their opening week. For example, Echo earned the same time-watched with five episodes that Loki managed with one three years earlier, and Ironheart's three-episode debut could barely exceed The Falcon and the Winter Soldier's singular premiere.
Moving forward, Marvel Studios is changing its strategy to prioritize multi-season shows that release annually and will, hopefully, build its own audiences season by season. That will undoubtedly be the hope when Born Again returns in March and if Wonder Man gets another chance with a Season 2 renewal.
While Wonder Man may have been one of the MCU's worst-performing premieres yet, it should be noted that, given the show's lack of CGI action and superhero battles, its budget was likely much smaller, thereby lowering expectations. Still, the studio may want to implement some changes for Season 2.
There's no denying that Wonder Man had plenty of charm, comedy, and variety, earning it a spot among the MCU's best Disney+ shows. However, Season 2 could benefit from an extended episode count spread out over several weeks, allowing viewers to spend additional months in Simon Williams' wonderful world of acting.
