Ms. Marvel brought in impressive viewership numbers during its premiere on Disney+, proving particularly popular with younger and more diverse audiences.
According to data from audience analytics company Samba TV, over 775 thousand households in the U.S. and 156 thousand in the U.K. viewed the premiere of Ms. Marvel during its four-day launch window. Cole Strain, VP at Samba TV, added more details about the demographics of the viewership. "Ms. Marvel is by far the most popular show among more diverse audiences, over-indexing among Black, Hispanic, and Asian households, according to our data. The show also resonated with a younger audience, as viewership over-indexed among Gen Z viewers aged 20-24. Appealing to these younger, more diverse audiences is critical as Disney+ continues to find new growth opportunities and widen its subscriber base."
It should be noted that, despite its successes among new audiences, Ms. Marvel thus far is under-performing against its predecessor shows on Disney+, most of which surpassed 1 million households upon release, with the exception of the animated What If...? series.
Ms. Marvel is unique among onscreen MCU and Disney+ properties for its focus on a Muslim American family with strong cultural ties to Pakistan. Main character Kamala, played by newcomer Iman Vellani, struggles between her desire to be a modern American teenager with diverse friends and interests and her parents' more traditional and strict upbringing. Kamala's family and community, along with their values and traditions, are at the heart of Ms. Marvel and influence everything from the show's costume and set design to the South Asian-inspired soundtrack.
Disney and Marvel brought on directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah (Bad Boys for Life) to help achieve that authenticity. Fallah called it a "true honor" to be part of the MCU, and the duo were particularly proud to bring the MCU's first Muslim superhero to the screen because they could personally identify with her story. "I mean, we are Moroccan Belgians," said El Arbi, "so when we were 15/16, we were also still looking for our identity, our place in the world. Are we Moroccan Muslims? Are we Belgians? We felt related to that identity crisis of Kamala Khan."
The show's star, Iman Vellani, was plucked out of high school to be a superhero thanks to a WhatsApp message from her aunt. "February 2022, I get the WhatsApp forward. I thought it was a scam," Vellani said, but she sent in a basic resume, a photo and a self-tape. "Two days later, I get a call... They're like, 'Do you have a lawyer? We wanna fly you to L.A.' I was like, 'I have a math test, but okay.' Next thing I'm in L.A. with my dad. It was like the greatest trip of my life."
Ms. Marvel is currently streaming on Disney+.
Source: Samba TV