‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ becomes the most-watched Marvel premiere on Disney+

Five days after getting its streaming debut on Disney+, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” is now the most-watched Marvel premiere on Disney+ based on hours streamed within the first five days, the company announced today.

Disney didn’t provide specific viewing numbers, so it’s not exactly clear how the movie’s streaming performance compares to other Marvel titles on Disney+. However, the claim means the “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” premiere performed better than popular franchises like “Black Widow” and “Avengers: Endgame.”

The new streaming record for Disney+ could also mean that more Marvel films may get longer windows between theatrical release and streaming release — but that’s just our guess. In general, movies that get a long theatrical window are more likely to stand out in the minds of viewers as opposed to streaming-exclusive movies that might not get as much hype. Disney+ subscribers had to wait 82 days for “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” to stream on Disney+, the longest window of any Marvel movie on the streamer. For comparison, “Thor: Love and Thunder” appeared on Disney+ 62 days after it premiered in theaters.

The “Black Panther” sequel was released in theaters on November 11, 2022, and grossed over $800 million at the box office worldwide. It earned five Oscar nominations and won a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role (Angela Bassett).