Marvel records positive growth during pandemic

Marvel on 11 July recorded $80 million revenue from Black Widow’s first weekend in theaters, breaking the record for the biggest movie premiere in the midst of the pandemic. Meanwhile, Disney reported that the movie, which is available on Disney+ Premier Access for $30, generated more than $60 million.

Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution Chairman Kareem Daniel said that this affirmed the company’s decision to be flexible in providing content, both in theaters and online. This latest installment from Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is considered a silver lining after a whole difficult year for the film industry.

Marvel did not stop at Black Widow. Entering the second quarter of this year, the most recent series on MCU’s beloved antihero, Loki, became the most-watched premiere on Reelgood with 10.5% of 2 million users watching its first episode. At the time of writing, the show ranked third on Nielsen’s top 10 most-watched original shows.

Trailing behind are WandaVision and The Winter Soldier and The Falcon, which are among Disney+’s top three most-watched premieres. The Marvel Studios original series  drove the number of Disney+ subscribers by 30 million households in the first six months of the 2021 fiscal year. The company is seeking to book 230 million users by 2024.

Spider-Man: No Way Home is generating buzz following the success of Black Widow. It is expected to debut on 17 December 2021.