Marvel’s D23 publicity cycle was the dominant verified theme among August 2026’s fastest-growing U.S. Instagram accounts, powering four of the top ten entries. Sadie Sink led the list after debuting as Jean Grey and appearing at Disney’s D23 Expo, while Dolly Parton’s death on August 25 drove a memorial-fueled surge to the No. 2 spot. Beyond Hollywood’s franchise machine, a viral Drake livestream moment and a breakout Prime Video premiere produced the month’s clearest examples of independent and emerging-talent growth. Here’s the full ranking for last month:
Appeared at Disney’s D23 Expo on August 14, debuting as Jean Grey in the upcoming “X-Men” film, as “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” continued its run past $2 billion worldwide.
Died on August 25 after a brief battle with cancer, prompting a wave of public tributes from fans, fellow musicians, and officials across social media.
Revealed as Rogue in the upcoming “X-Men” film during Disney’s D23 Expo on August 14, extending a breakout year that began with her acclaimed performance in the horror hit “Obsession.”
Rode “Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s” record-breaking box office run, which crossed $1 billion worldwide in six days in early August, the second-fastest film ever to hit that mark.
Drew sustained national coverage over his administration’s pied-à-terre tax rollout and an ethics complaint filed by a Washington-based watchdog group over the use of official events to endorse Democratic candidates.
Went viral on August 8 after appearing in a ‘20 v 1’ dating segment on rapper Drake’s Kick livestream, where a clip of her getting him to bark on camera spread widely.
Starred in “Sterling Point,” which premiered on Amazon Prime Video on August 5 as a No. 1 global hit and was renewed for a second season by August 20.
The D23 Effect
Four of the ten accounts trace directly back to Disney’s D23 Expo, held August 14-15 in Anaheim, all confirmed via Disney, Marvel, and Deadline’s event coverage:
Sadie Sink: debuted as Jean Grey for the new “X-Men” film
Robert Downey Jr.: new “Avengers: Doomsday” footage
Marvel Entertainment: hub account for the full weekend of reveals
Inde Navarrette: revealed as Rogue on the same D23 stage as Sink, in the same “X-Men” cast announcement
Dragomir is a Serbian freelance blog writer and translator. He is passionate about covering insightful stories and exploring topics such as influencer marketing, the creator economy, technology, business, and cyber fraud.
Marvel’s D23 publicity cycle was the dominant verified theme among August 2026’s fastest-growing U.S. Instagram accounts, powering four of the top ten entries. Sadie Sink led the list after debuting as Jean Grey and appearing at Disney’s D23 Expo, while Dolly Parton’s death on August 25 drove a memorial-fueled surge to the No. 2 spot. Beyond Hollywood’s franchise machine, a viral Drake livestream moment and a breakout Prime Video premiere produced the month’s clearest examples of independent and emerging-talent growth. Here’s the full ranking for last month:
#1. Sadie Sink | @sadiesink_
Gained: +2.1M followers
August total: 34.8M followers
Appeared at Disney’s D23 Expo on August 14, debuting as Jean Grey in the upcoming “X-Men” film, as “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” continued its run past $2 billion worldwide.
#2. Dolly Parton | @dollyparton
Gained: +1.5M followers
August total: 10.1M followers
Died on August 25 after a brief battle with cancer, prompting a wave of public tributes from fans, fellow musicians, and officials across social media.
#3. Inde Navarrette | @indenavarrette
Gained: +1.2M followers
August total: 5.1M followers
Revealed as Rogue in the upcoming “X-Men” film during Disney’s D23 Expo on August 14, extending a breakout year that began with her acclaimed performance in the horror hit “Obsession.”
#4. Robert Downey Jr. | @robertdowneyjr
Gained: +1.0M followers
August total: 58.7M followers
Appeared at D23 on August 14 as Marvel showcased new footage from “Avengers: Doomsday,” ahead of the film’s December release.
#5. Zendaya | @zendaya
Gained: +963K followers
August total: 178.0M followers
Rode “Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s” record-breaking box office run, which crossed $1 billion worldwide in six days in early August, the second-fastest film ever to hit that mark.
#6. MrBeast | @mrbeast
Gained: +903.7K followers
August total: 89.1M followers
Kept pace with his regular YouTube upload schedule.
#7. Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani | @nycmayor
Gained: +878.5K followers
August total: 4.7M followers
Drew sustained national coverage over his administration’s pied-à-terre tax rollout and an ethics complaint filed by a Washington-based watchdog group over the use of official events to endorse Democratic candidates.
#8. Lin Lamar | @pinkchyuwu
Gained: +716.9K followers
August total: 3.0M followers
Went viral on August 8 after appearing in a ‘20 v 1’ dating segment on rapper Drake’s Kick livestream, where a clip of her getting him to bark on camera spread widely.
#9. Marvel Entertainment | @marvel
Gained: +696K followers
August total: 65.1M followers
Anchored a blockbuster D23 Expo weekend with new looks at “Avengers: Doomsday” and the Vision series “VisionQuest,” plus the new “X-Men” cast reveal.
#10. Ella Rubin | @ellarubin1
Gained: +689.5K followers
August total: 774.2K followers
Starred in “Sterling Point,” which premiered on Amazon Prime Video on August 5 as a No. 1 global hit and was renewed for a second season by August 20.
The D23 Effect
Four of the ten accounts trace directly back to Disney’s D23 Expo, held August 14-15 in Anaheim, all confirmed via Disney, Marvel, and Deadline’s event coverage:
Data from HypeAuditor, 2026
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