Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has set a new box-office record in its opening weekend last week, earning a whopping $180 million across the weekend. This makes it the biggest November opening ever in the USA.
The previous record was $158 million, set by The Hunger Games: Catching Fire back in 2013, according to Digital Spy. Not only is the Black Panther sequel the biggest November release, it’s the second-biggest US debut of the year, beaten only by Marvel’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness at $187.4 million, highlighting the MCU’s status as the most popular movie franchise on the market right now.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever didn’t want to stop there with the titles either, also becoming the third-best opening of any film in the pandemic era. Once again, Marvel dominates, with the top two being Multiverse of Madness and Spider-Man: No Way Home, which earned $260 million.
Wakanda Forever received strong reviews from both critics and fans, with many critics praising director Ryan Coogler’s handling of the movie and its success as a tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman, who previously played by the role of the titular Black Panther. The movie has 84% on Rotten Tomatoes, demonstrating its positive reception after just a few days on the big screen.
This marks the end of the MCU’s Phase 4, with Phase 5 beginning in earnest in 2023 with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. With three Phase 4 films dominating the box office records in 2022, it’ll be interesting to see whether Marvel can keep up the momentum in 2023 with the next phase of the MCU.
(featured image: Marvel)
