Markiplier’s Box Office Hit Iron Lung Sets YouTube Premiere Date

Markiplier is doing things his way (as usual), and if you’ve been following his journey from YouTube star to horror director, you probably won’t be surprised by his latest move. His horror film Iron Lung—which has already pulled off an unlikely box office run—is about to make its streaming debut, and surprise: it’s not going to Netflix, Prime, or any other old-school streamer. It’s going straight to YouTube, the very site that launched Markiplier’s colossal following.

Going All-In on YouTube

Here’s the deal: Iron Lung will be up for grabs on YouTube starting May 31. Not free, mind you, but available for purchase directly on the platform. This decision is absolutely intentional—Markiplier could have gone the expected route with a streaming service, but he’s sticking with the website that helped him hit 37 million subscribers in the first place. At a panel in Cannes, he put it simply: 'I’m pretty loyal to it.'

How Did This Even Happen?

If you’d told anyone in January that Markiplier’s self-produced, self-marketed horror flick would be a box office hit, they’d probably have laughed in your face. Still, here we are. Iron Lung premiered in theaters on January 30, and defied every expectation since, crossing the $50 million mark worldwide. All this came from a film with a budget of just $4 million and almost zero traditional marketing. The secret? Markiplier’s massive online reach and apparently rabid fanbase.

Not only did he star in the movie, he wrote, directed, produced, and pretty much willed it into existence. The project adapts David Szymanski’s indie horror video game of the same name, which is every bit as bleak and unsettling as you might expect.

The Plot, If You’re Brave Enough

For those not in the loop: Iron Lung drops viewers into a ruthless post-apocalyptic future after 'The Quiet Rapture'—an event where all the stars and habitable planets suddenly disappear. Society’s solution? Lock a convicted criminal inside a rusty submarine (the 'Iron Lung' itself) and send it to explore a blood-red ocean on a lonely moon. It’s part deep-sea horror, part mind-game.

Who’s on Board?

• Markiplier (wearing every hat possible)
• Caroline Rose Kaplan
• Troy Baker
• Elsie Lovelock

He handled distributing the movie in the U.S. all by himself, but for international audiences—think everywhere from Germany to Finland and a bunch of places in between—he teamed up with Piece of Magic Entertainment.

What’s Next (Or, Not Yet)?

Markiplier also tossed out a tidbit about his plans during the same Cannes panel. No, he isn’t rushing into another feature film right away—he wants at least a year off to spend time with his wife. (Honestly, fair enough.) But he did promise, 'Next year I’ll be working on something,' so don’t write him off just yet.