Pedro Pascal Faces Backlash as Disney+ Numbers Disappoint

Pedro Pascal has become something of a ubiquitous presence in the world of entertainment. Blink, and he’s likely to have joined another major franchise. Whether it’s Star Wars, Game of Thrones, or DC, his name seems to crop up everywhere. Yet, his recent foray into the Marvel Cinematic Universe has not exactly been a crowning achievement.

According to a report from December, the Disney+ release of Fantastic Four: First Steps made a rather underwhelming entrance. The film managed just 4.9 million Equivalent Completed Views (ECVs) in the United States during its initial five days, as measured by Nielsen. While these figures only reflect the opening period, they are not especially encouraging for a property as well-known as Marvel’s first family.

Comparisons with Other Marvel Releases

When set against other recent Marvel offerings, the numbers for Fantastic Four: First Steps look even more modest. Thunderbolts*, a film that faced its fair share of criticism and a tepid box office response, still managed 5.5 million ECVs in its first five days. Captain America: Brave New World fared better still, with 6.4 million. Given the popularity of the Fantastic Four brand, these results are, to put it mildly, less than stellar.

It’s worth noting that the lack of promotional effort may have played a part. Marvel Studios and Disney+ appeared to do little more than release a handful of posters, with neither cast nor crew making much noise about the film’s streaming debut. The muted marketing campaign likely contributed to the film’s subdued reception.

Disney+ Performance in Context

Looking at other Wednesday releases on Disney+, the contrast becomes even starker. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever drew 14.1 million ECVs in its first five days, while Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 attracted 10.9 million. Even Eternals, which received mixed reviews, managed 9.2 million. Fantastic Four: First Steps, by comparison, sits at the bottom of the table, just below Black Widow’s 5.1 million.

Despite this, Nielsen’s data places Fantastic Four: First Steps in third place on the Top 10 films chart, trailing only behind Netflix’s Frankenstein and KPop Demon Hunters. So, while the numbers are not dazzling, the film is not entirely without an audience.

Box Office Success and Future Prospects

One report suggests that Fantastic Four: First Steps performed 23% worse than Captain America: Brave New World and 10% below Thunderbolts* in terms of Disney+ viewership.

However, the same report also points towards the movie earning 25% more than Captain America at the box office and 36% more than Thunderbolts*.

Globally, the film’s theatrical earnings reached $521.9 million, outpacing both Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts*. This suggests that, while the streaming debut may have been a letdown, audiences were still keen to see the story unfold on the big screen—perhaps due in no small part to the arrival of Galactus in the Marvel universe.

With the Fantastic Four set to return in Avengers: Doomsday, there remains hope for a resurgence in interest. The post-Avengers: Secret Wars era could well offer new opportunities for these characters to shine.