In its first five days on Disney+, Eternals outperformed Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.On Twitter, analytics company Samba TV pegged Eternals has having drawn in two million households in the United States over its first five days on streaming. Box office reporter Luiz Fernando then put those numbers in context in a subsequent thread, saying this constituted the biggest debut for a Marvel Cinematic Universe film on Disney+. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was the previous record holder at 1.7 million.
Fernando then provided a number of movies for comparison from other streamers, such as Netflix and HBO Max. While two million certainly proves a respectable number, Eternals was outdone by such films as Mortal Kombat and The Suicide Squad. That being said, those movies released simultaneously on HBO Max and in theaters, while the two MCU movies started with theatrical runs. As such, the comparisons are not necessarily apples-to-apples.
Released in Aug. 2021, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings saw the titular hero making his MCU debut. In the film, Shang-Chi sets out to stop his father, Wenwu, from accidentally releasing an ancient evil known as the Dweller-in-Darkness in hopes of bringing back his deceased wife. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings earned $432.2 million at the worldwide box office against a budget of between $150 and $200 million. Reviews for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings were also quite positive, and the film earned a 91 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.
Three months later, in Nov. 2021, Eternals arrived. The film follows the Eternals -- who are aliens created by the Celestials to destroy the Deviants -- on Earth as they reunite to prevent an event known as the Emergence. The movie earned around $402 million against a budget of $200 million. However, Eternals didn't fare nearly as well with critics. Reviews for the film were mixed, and Eternals now sits at 48 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, making it the first MCU movie to earn the "Rotten" distinction on that review aggregator.
The box office takes for both of those films were affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which still has many reticent to return to theaters. Additionally, neither movie released in China, which is one of the biggest market for movies in the world.
Eternals and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings are available to stream now on Disney+. Eternals will receive a home media release on Feb. 15.
Source: Twitter