Marvel’s Iron Fist is one of the most maligned TV shows in recent history. But despite all the cries from critics of “whitewashing,” the show that was expected to fail is instead Netflix’s most binge-watched drama premiere of 2017.
According to analysis by 7Park Data (per Variety), which measures streaming platforms, 54.7% of Iron Fist streams on March 17 were of episodes three or higher. It indicates that most viewers binge-watched the show on its premiere date.
Iron Fist accounted for 14.6% of all Netflix streams on its premiere, ahead of Stranger Things (4%), Luke Cage (12.8%) and season 2 of Daredevil (13.8%) during their premieres.
“The relationship between critic reviews and mass appeal has always been a complicated one,” said Christopher Coby, a senior analyst for 7Park Data.
“Consider the ’70s, ’80s, ’90s and the long list of shows with top audience numbers but few Golden Globes or Emmys to show for it. The actual streams data tells us that what critics consider the best shows and what streaming viewers consider the best are sometimes two very different things. Marvel’s Iron Fist is a case in point,” he said.
An article by Business Insider (using data by Parrot Analytics) claims that Iron Fist viewers are “quickly losing interest” in the show. However, the data they analyze only looks at the show’s viewcount between weeks. Given that Netflix released all episodes of Iron Fist at once, anyone who watched the entire season during its premiere would have no reason to return to it the week after.
Iron Fist is one of four Marvel episodic TV series on Netflix, alongside Daredevil, Jessica Jones and Luke Cage. The show received condemnation from critics, earning it a score of 17% on Rotten Tomatoes—the worst reviews of any Marvel program on Netflix.
Iron Fist actor Finn Jones was blasted by critics on social media when he defended the show from “whitewashing” complaints, and called upon his fans to judge the show for themselves. Inundated with hostility, Jones promptly quit Twitter. He is set to reprise his role as Danny Rand in the upcoming The Defenders later this year, which also features the other Marvel protagonists.
Ian Miles Cheong is a journalist and outspoken media critic. You can reach him through social media at @stillgray on Twitter and on Facebook.
