Eternals premiered on Disney+ on January 12, 2022, and has already become the biggest premiere for an MCU film on Disney+. Introducing an entirely new set of characters to the MCU, Eternals was one of Marvel Studios' biggest gambles to date, as the film was marketed very differently from previous MCU films. The reaction from critics was polarizing as it scored the lowest rating for an MCU film on Rotten Tomatoes and the first rotten score in the MCU film series.

While Eternals had the lowest opening weekend of the Phase 4 MCU films released in 2021 and came in on the lower end of domestic grosses for an MCU film, it still managed to be the sixth highest-grossing film at the 2021 domestic box office with $164 million. The film actually opened above Black Widow and Shang-Chi at the worldwide box office and brought in $401.9 million worldwide. Eternals did well by a pandemic standard. Many wondered if the new super team from Marvel would catch on with a mainstream public and if the lower box office was just because of the pandemic or if audiences were actually turned off by the negative reviews.

Related: Eternals' Backlash Was Completely Overblown

It appears that many audience members may have waited for Eternals to hit streaming, as according to The Direct, Eternals is the biggest premiere for an MCU movie on Disney+. Data collected by SambaTV has Eternals being viewed by 2 million households in its first five days, while Luiz Fernando reported that the film broke the record for biggest MCU film debut on Disney+, breaking the record previously held by Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Marvel Studios and Disney+ have not reported any official numbers on Eternals or Shang-Chi on Disney+.

Eternals Movie Reviews

For comparison's sake, Eternals scored less in its first five days on Disney+ than films like The Suicide Squad and The Matrix: Resurrections on HBO Max. Yet, those films were day-and-date releases with theaters, so those drew big crowds that would have attributed to opening weekend box office numbers, where Eternals topped both those films' opening weekend combined. Eternals did bring in more viewers in its first five days than Disney+ Premier Access titles like Cruella and Mulan, which were streamed by 686,000 and 1.2 million US households, respectively.

With a strong box office intake worldwide for a pandemic and now the impressive Disney+ premiere numbers for Eternals, it is safe to say the film is more successful than it was at its original release. Not only are audiences who missed out in theaters getting a second chance to view it, but filmgoers who saw it in theaters are getting a chance for a second viewing and possibly coming around on the film. While no official word on a sequel has been announced, it is likely Marvel Studios' plans for Eternals will be revealed soon enough.

Next: Eternals Is Better On Disney+ Than In Movie Theaters

Source: The Direct

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