Marvel and Disney+ may have been spoiled by success, but the MCU’s latest series is currently proving to be a massive flop, reaching fewer people than ever before. From “Ms. Marvel” one would have expected more. But there is at least one ray of hope.
Is the world ready for a young Muslim superhero? That’s the question Marvel and Disney+ are currently asking the broader MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) fan base by throwing their newest series at Kamala Khan aka Ms. Marvel. The six-part mini-series has been running on the Disney+ streaming service since June 8, with a new episode every week. But how is the series doing?
Flop for Disney +: Ms. Marvel wanted to see only a few viewers
Not so good. According to the latest figures, only 775,000 Americans watched the first episode of the series within the first five days. This is by far the weakest launch of any MCU series on Disney+ to date. Even the previous loser “Hawkeye” was able to reach almost twice as many fans from the start with 1.5 million viewers. The leader is still “Loki” with 2.5 million, followed by “Moon Knight” (1.8 million) – Source: Samba TV. But what is the reason for the failure for “Ms. Marvel”?
Ms. Marvel currently on Disney+:
We can only speculate on this, but have a few guesses. First the obvious: People are going out more. It’s summer, Corona and the associated restrictions are out of our heads for the time being. You don’t want to hang around in front of the telly, but rather look for entertainment in the open air, in bars, at concerts and elsewhere. And then there would be the audience that Marvel is addressing with the latest series.
Just a “woke teen series”?
Although “Ms. Marvel” only attracts the fewest viewers of all MCU series in front of the TV, but Kamala Khan set new records among young people aged 20 to 24, as well as among black, Hispanic and Asian populations (Source: Samba TV). The new superheroine thus appeals to a very diverse target group, but not the masses either. In short: In public, “Ms. Marvel” probably perceived as a “woke teen series”. A blessing and a curse at the same time.
In July, Thor returns to cinemas with a new adventure:
My assessment: I like “Ms. Marvel” wonderful so far. The look is refreshingly different, the story is not aloof. If it wasn’t a superheroine series, you could also say: taken straight from life. For me, there are parallels to the DC hit “Shazam” in the trials and tribulations of how Kamala comes to terms with her new superpowers. Again, a young, clumsy hero must find his way in an entertaining way. Honestly, in the otherwise rather dark DC Extended Universe (DCEU) a bright spot of good spirits. Something similar can be said about “Ms. say Marvel. The young lady deserves a chance, it’s worth it.