More People Watched The Acolyte on Disney+ Than Daredevil: Born Again

Disney+ viewership numbers show The Acolyte, the 2024 Star Wars series, outperformed Daredevil: Born Again, Marvel’s 2025 comeback. Per Disney’s reports, The Acolyte hit 11.1 million views in its first five days, while Daredevil: Born Again logged 7.5 million in the same timeframe. Let’s break down the numbers, look at why these shows performed as they did, and keep it real for fans and skeptics alike.

The Acolyte Viewership: A Star Wars Surge?

The Acolyte debuted on June 4, 2024, pulling in 4.8 million views on day one, making it Disney+’s biggest series launch of 2024 at the time, per Variety. Over its first five days (June 4–8, 2024), it climbed to 11.1 million views globally, according to Disney’s official report via TVLine. That’s a solid start for a Star Wars show, even though the metric—total hours watched divided by runtime—includes rewatches and background play.

Full-Season Performance

By year’s end, The Acolyte racked up 2.673 billion minutes watched in 2024, making it the second-most-watched Disney+ show of the year, behind Percy Jackson and the Olympians, per Collider. Nielsen data for June 3–9, 2024, showed 488 million minutes watched for the first two episodes, translating to roughly 6.4 million views using Disney’s method, per Cosmic Book News. However, the shine faded—Episode 3 dropped to 370 million minutes the following week, signaling retention issues.

The Costly Flop

Despite its strong opening, The Acolyte’s $180 million budget and declining engagement led Disney to cancel a second season, per Variety. Fans on X debated its divisive plot and high costs, but the numbers don’t lie: a big start, but not enough to justify the expense.

Daredevil: Born Again Viewership: A Marvel Misfire?

Daredevil: Born Again premiered on March 4, 2025, pulling in 7.5 million views globally in its first five days, per Disney’s report via Forbes and GamesRadar+. That made it Disney+’s biggest 2025 debut so far, but it’s a step down from The Acolyte’s 11.1 million and past Marvel hits like Loki Season 2 (10.9 million) and Agatha All Along (9.3 million), per ComicBook.com.

For a legacy character like Matt Murdock, those numbers feel underwhelming—but Disney’s already greenlit a second season, signaling long-term faith in the project.

Context and Comparison

Unlike The Acolyte, Daredevil: Born Again lacks Nielsen data as of March 14, 2025, per available reports. Those metrics take time to roll in. Still, its 7.5 million views in five days fall short of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’s record-breaking debut in 2021 (though exact figures for that show’s five-day window aren’t specified).

Fans on X praised Daredevil’s darker, more grounded tone, but it didn’t generate the same immediate hype as The Acolyte.

Why the Difference? Star Wars vs. Marvel on Disney+

Initial Buzz and Budgets

The Acolyte’s 11.1 million views outpaced Daredevil: Born Again’s 7.5 million, per Disney’s metrics.

• Star Wars nostalgia likely fueled The Acolyte’s premiere, but its $180 million budget and drop-off hurt long-term prospects, per Variety.
• Daredevil: Born Again, with an undisclosed but likely high budget, leaned on Marvel’s built-in fanbase but couldn’t match The Acolyte’s initial splash, per GamesRadar+.

Retention and Reception

• The Acolyte lost steam after Episode 3, per Nielsen’s 370 million minutes watched.
• Daredevil: Born Again’s full-season data isn’t in yet, so long-term engagement remains a question mark.
• On X, The Acolyte faced backlash over its story choices, while Daredevil earned praise for its gritty reboot, per ComicBook.com.
• Neither set streaming records, per Collider.

Disney’s Metric Caveat

Disney counts “views” as total hours watched divided by runtime, per Variety. That means The Acolyte’s 11.1 million and Daredevil’s 7.5 million include rewatches and background play, which inflates the numbers. Fans on X debate this method, but for now, it’s Disney’s standard.

What Does This Mean for Disney+?

A Tale of Two Flops?

Neither show dominated the streaming charts:

• The Acolyte got canceled despite a strong start, per Collider.
• Daredevil: Born Again had a modest debut but got renewed, per Forbes.
• Disney+’s big-budget gamble is risky—throwing $180 million at The Acolyte didn’t secure another season, while Daredevil’s 7.5 million views suggest cautious optimism from Disney, per GamesRadar+.

Fan Fatigue or Franchise Fatigue?

Some on X say viewers are burned out on Star Wars and Marvel, per sentiment. I’m not speculating—just reporting the data.

• The Acolyte’s drop-off and Daredevil’s modest start could indicate oversaturation, per ComicBook.com.
• Disney’s juggling too many IPs, and viewers are getting pickier.

Join the Debate: Which Show Deserved More?

Did The Acolyte’s 11.1 million views beat Daredevil’s 7.5 million because of Star Wars hype, or did Marvel fumble the ball? Which show’s fate surprised you more?