Black Panther: Wakanda Forever hits theaters this Friday, and Ryan Coogler's sequel is expected to get off to a strong start at the global box office.
Deadline is reporting that Marvel Studios' final Phase 4 film looks set to take in between $175M-$185 million stateside at 4,300 theaters, and another $180M+ overseas for a worldwide total of $355M - $365M.
This would be a very impressive debut - especially when you take into account that the box office hasn't fully reverted to its former glory - but it would still only give Wakanda Forever the third highest opening of the "pandemic era" after the mighty Spider-Man: No Way Home ($568M) and fellow MCU adventure Doctor Strange In the Multiverse of Madness ($429M).
The review embargo lifted earlier today (you'll find our verdict here), and Wakanda Forever currently sits at 90% on Rotten Tomatoes. This is sure to help bring butts to seats - although Marvel Studios movies do tend to be critic-proof, anyway (for the most part).
Right now, advance ticket sales through Sunday stand at $45M, which is roughly 20% behind Multiverse of Madness at the same point in time and 40% ahead of Thor: Love and Thunder.
Are you guys planning on seeing Black Panther: Wakanda Forever opening night/weekend?
In Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), Shuri (Letitia Wright), M’Baku (Winston Duke), Okoye (Danai Gurira), and the Dora Milaje (including Florence Kasumba), fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T’Challa’s death. As the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes must band together with the help of War Dog Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) and Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) and forge a new path for the kingdom of Wakanda. Introducing Tenoch Huerta as Namor, king of a hidden undersea nation, the film also stars Dominique Thorne, Michaela Coel, Mabel Cadena, and Alex Livanalli.