Marvel has had a great year in both theaters and on Disney+, but the MCU is ending 2022 with an explosively emotional bang thanks to the release of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The highly anticipated sequel will be breaking the bank all around the world this weekend. However, Wakanda Forever has started the superhero party early in some global markets. The film has already made $10.1 million in 17 foreign markets this past Wednesday.
Wakanda Forever is off to a hot start and is expected to make between $175 million and $185 million domestically while tracking to make around $365 million globally in its official opening weekend. This would make the film the third-highest opening in the pandemic era only behind Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. This should be no surprise, as the original best picture nominee Black Panther debuted at $202 million domestically in its opening weekend before ending up with $1.3 billion in its worldwide run.
There are many factors working for and against Wakanda Forever being the next film in that billion dollar club. The biggest thing working for the sequel is the fact that it's following one of the most beloved superhero films in history, and so far the reviews/word of mouth for the film has been just as strong as the original. Right now Wakanda Forever is holding a healthy certified fresh rating of 85% on Rotten Tomatoes. However, the reason the sequel most likely won’t match or surpass the first film’s opening weekend is due to its length. With Wakanda Forever clocking in at 2 hours and 41 minutes, the film is the second longest MCU adventure to date only behind Avengers: Endgame and one of the longest films of the year. This inevitably means there will be fewer showtimes available for the film overall. However, given that Wakanda Forever won’t have much competition over the next month, that might not be a problem as most theaters will likely prioritize the Marvel sequel.
Black Panther, as a character and a brand, means so much to so many people around the world. What the late Chadwick Boseman brought to this heroic icon was an authentic and unworldly emotional weight that is rarely given by performers in the comic book genre today. That’s why it will be bittersweet to see what the Black Panther world looks like post Boseman’s tragic passing. Wakanda Forever is pegged as a loving tribute to the actor, which only means this will be one of the most emotional MCU films ever as fans find out who the next character to take on that Black Panther mantle will be. Despite the film’s lengthy runtime, that tear-jerking sentiment is already reflected in the sequel’s box office projections and what it has done in its early run in a few overseas markets so far.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is already roaring at the worldwide box office and opens this Friday, November 11, globally. It will be interesting to see if the film will join the billion dollar club given that, like most Disney productions of late, it will not release in China or Russia. While we anxiously wait to see how successful the film is, you can watch the latest trailer for Wakanda Forever down below.