Despite nailing a yearly release schedule — an impressive feat these days — and stirring up a seemingly endless amount of hype on social media, Daredevil: Born Again failed to crack the Nielsen Top 10 streaming charts. Not one of its 17 episodes made the cut, and even worse, its viewership actually went down for Season 2. After being treated like a red-headed step-child on Netflix, Charlie Cox’s hornhead and supporting characters were officially pulled into the MCU in Season 1, but even that promotion to the big leagues did nothing to reel in eyeballs.
Spider-Noir did not have that problem, and I’m as shocked as you are. It’s no secret that Sony’s efforts to milk Spider-Man for quick and easy profits has resulted in duds like Morbius, Madame Web, and Kraven, so I was not expecting much from this spinoff series even though it tried something different but having a kinda, sorta “Spider-Man” in it. Surprisingly, it worked.
Both Nic Cage and the creative team fully committed to the 1930s hard-boiled detective aesthetic, and it hit like gangbusters. (Like Tori, I highly recommend watching in black and white.) But don’t take my word for it. Here’s the latest Nielsen charts, and you’ll find Spider-Noir in a spot that Daredevil: Born Again can only dream of.
Via THR:
Top 10 Overall:
1. The Boroughs
2. Bluey
3. Grey’s Anatomy
4. Spider-Noir
5. The Big Bang Theory
6. Dutton Ranch
7. The Four Seasons
8. The Boys
9. Euphoria
10. SpongeBob SquarePants
Spider-Noir was also #2 for Top 10 Original Series, bested again by The Boroughs, which had double the viewership of the Nic Cage series. Netflix really made a smart move canceling that show. Great job, guys.
Anyway, back to my point: One of Sony’s weird Spider-Man spinoffs actually managed to be hit — look at the shows it beat — which proves that the superhero genre isn’t dying. If you craft something good instead of more of the same, people will watch it. Unfortunately, that point will get mowed right over when Spider-Man: Brand New Day makes a bajillion bucks, but hopefully, Spider-Noir’s success will encourage more big swings in a genre that’s rife with possibilities. See: The equally excellent Wonder Man that’s looking at a possible Emmy nom.
These characters are malleable. Mall them. (It’s Friday, I don’t care if that’s right.)
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