Guardians of the galaxy MARVEL Movies

Guardians of the Galaxy 3's Disney+ Viewership Ranking Revealed Following Streaming Debut

Guardians of the Galaxy 3's Disney+ Viewership Ranking Revealed Following Streaming Debut

New data revealed how Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 performed on Disney+ following its recent release on the platform.

Following its theatrical release on May 5, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 finally landed on Disney+ on Wednesday, August 2, and hit a frustrating MCU streaming record at the same time.

This came just after Secret Invasion suffered disappointing viewership compared to Marvel Studios' past original shows and Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania ranked atop the streaming charts on its Disney+ debut in May.

Guardians of the Galaxy 3's Disney+ Viewership Data Revealed


Whip Media shared the ranking of the top streaming movies in the United States over the August 4-6 weekend - the first in which Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 could be found streaming on Disney+.

The list revealed Guardians 3 topped the charts, beating out The Super Mario Bros. Movie on Peacock, which also made its streaming debut in the same week on Tuesday, August 2:
  1. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (Disney+)
  2. The Super Mario Bros. Movie (Peacock)
  3. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (Paramount+)
  4. Happiness for Beginners (Netflix)
  5. Hidden Strike (Netflix)
  6. They Cloned Tyrone (Netflix)
  7. The Meg (Max)
  8. Extraction 2 (Netflix)
  9. The Out-Laws (Netflix)
  10. 65 (Netflix)
According to data from Samba TV - which estimates total viewership based on data analyzed from 28 million TVs in the U.S. and 46 million worldwide - Guardians 3 was watched by 1.3 million domestic households in its first five days on Disney+.

For comparison, the full list of opening viewership figures for Phase 4 and 5 MCU Movies according to Samba TV can be seen below:
  • Black Widow: 1.1M
  • Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings: 1.7M
  • Eternals: 2M
  • Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness: 2.1M
  • Thor: Love and Thunder: 2.2M
  • Black Panther: Wakanda Forever: 2.1M
  • Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania: 966k
  • Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3: 1.3M
The data ranks Guardians 3 as the third-lowest debut for a new MCU movie on Disney+ since the service launched in November 2019, only beating out Black Widow and Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania.

Black Widow's Disney+ debut came with the caveat of being a paid $30 Premier Access release that came on the same day the movie arrived in theaters.

Samba TV also revealed 482,000 U.S. households rented or bought Guardians 3 upon its paid VOD release on July 7 over its first five days out in the open.

Did Guardians of the Galaxy 3 Succeed on Disney+?

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was a massive success in theaters - ranking as the fourth-highest-grossing Multiverse Saga movie - and received strong reactions from critics and audiences upon its release in May.

So, it's surprising to see Guardians 3 ranking on the lower end of Disney+ viewership, falling only behind Black Widow and Ant-Man 3. Both of those movies had their own reasons for their lower viewership, as Black Widow required an extra $30 fee to stream while Quantumania received awful reviews and reactions.

But that's not to say Guardians 3's Disney+ release was by any means a failure, as it still led the streaming charts for its debut weekend, even beating out The Super Mario Bros. Movie - which, according to Samba TV, was viewed by 811,000 U.S. households over its first four days on Peacock.

One has to wonder whether the drop in viewership compared to other successful Marvel movies such as Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness may relate to the recent negative press surrounding the MCU as a whole after the disappointment of Secret Invasion.

The MCU continues to use a longer theatrical-to-streaming window for recent movies compared to early Phase 4 releases. It's possible this lengthened wait may be having the intended effect of pushing fans to buy tickets to see the movie in theaters or pay for the home release, as opposed to waiting for Disney+.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is streaming now on Disney+.
•
Read More Comments
Guardians of the galaxy MARVEL Movies

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Is Reportedly a 'Masterpiece'

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Is Reportedly a 'Masterpiece'

 


The Guardians of the Galaxy franchise has been an enigma in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The first non-Avengers IP introduced in the MCU is ,approaching its third installment and many believe this is the last ride for the current Guardians group. Director James Gunn has created a new brand of superhero movies with his vibrant combination of humor, emotion, and music.

It seems Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 may be on track to be the biggest one yet. 

Guardians have traditionally been independent of the greater MCU story outside the Infinity Saga-ending events of Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame. However, the Guardians have an appearance in Thor: Love and Thunder right around the corner, and a Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special on the way. So, with the third chapter of the trilogy coming in May 2023, Gunn seems to be gearing up for his last ride with Marvel Studios. 

The cast members of the original Guardians roster seem to carry the same sense of finality heading into Volume 3. While it is essential to tie a bow on this era of the cosmic cabinet, it is just as important to live up to the franchise's expectations. Many Marvel fans consider Guardians their comfort franchise with the humor and heart that come with it. Not to mention the stunning visuals, hall of fame level soundtracks, and impact on the Cosmic Branch of the MCU. 

The early word from the people closest to the project is that Volume 3 is ready to live up to the expectations. 

James Gunn's Masterpiece for Guardians 3




In a recent interview for his new series, The Terminal List, Guardians leading man Chris Pratt told Digital Spy that James Gunn told him Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is the "best work [they] have ever done:"

Gunn will join Jon Watts as the only two directors to direct all three movies of a trilogy in the MCU. 

The overall vibe of this movie is a swan song for James Gunn and this iteration of the Guardians. The future of the IP is uncertain, but it looks like if Gunn, Pratt, and others are going out with this one, they are going out with a bang. 

So We're Saving The Galaxy Again?

July 2012 was a special time for Marvel Studios. Fresh off the underdog success of The Avengers, they proved that they could take non-X-Men and non-Spider-Man IPs and not only succeed but change the genre landscape. Then, at San Diego Comic-Con, Feige and his team announced that the Guardians of the Galaxy would be the next Marvel Comics title to grace the big screen. 

The majority of fans responded with one word that ended up becoming a catchphrase of the franchise... "Who?"

At the time, the Guardians of the Galaxy were D-Level Marvel heroes at best. Many believed this was a sign of Marvel Studios getting too cocky with their lead over competitors. They had a massively successful Avengers franchise accompanied by Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor franchises, all due for sequels within the next two years ahead of an Avengers sequel. They could have brought in more Earth-bound heroes like Ant-Man, road the success of their current roster, and probably call it a day. 

But just like they did with Phase 1 of the MCU, they took a risk. They gave an unknown IP to a director mostly known for his cult-classic underground projects and said, "go make something awesome." And that he did. 

The Guardians of the Galaxy have built a name for themselves within and beyond the MCU. Many points to the impact these two movies have had on music and the resurgence of '70s and '80s pop music. For example, the soundtrack to Volume 1 and 2 are in the top 50 highest-selling albums of the past decade, with Volume 1 being number 4 on the list. And some people, including the person writing this article, walked down the aisle to "Come and Get Your Love" at their weddings. 

But beyond the pop-culture phenomenon the first two movies have become, they are also widely regarded as top-tier Marvel Studios products. In today's MCU, with new series and films being released at a rate hitherto undreamt of, expectations are at an all-time high. 

The support of his cast is nothing new for James Gunn. After experiencing just that in his DCEU debut with 2021's The Suicide Squad, he is also no stranger to loft expectations. And he was even able to prove he could capitalize on the moment with the follow-up series Peacemaker. If nothing else, Gunn has shown he can give one of the MCU's most enigmatic franchises a proper sendoff. 

Guardians Vol. 1 was a trailblazer that changed the way popcorn movies were made moving forward. Guardians Vol. 2 shows that Vol. 1 was no fluke, and there are more stories to be told. Now all eyes point to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, to live up to the expectations of a six-year gap waiting on the next great soundtrack, the next scenes that makes everyone cry, and the final chapter of James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy. 
•
Read More Comments