On the Friday before President’s Day weekend, Marvel’s latest superhero movie, Black Panther, releases in the United States. With a star-studded cast and a critically-acclaimed director at the helm, Marvel fans are eager to dive into the world of Wakanda and its royal family.
With three weeks remaining until its release, tracking indicates that Black Panther could generate up to $120 million during its opening weekend.
Black Panther has already broken the first-day advanced ticket sales record on Fandango, beating out Captain America: Civil War. Additionally, tracking indicates that the movie has a total awareness of 83 percent, unaided awareness at 35 percent, and definite interest at 56 percent.
Black Panther is the 18th entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as well as Marvel Studio’s first tentpole film for 2018. If the tracking is correct, the movie could be the third-biggest MCU solo release behind Spider-Man: Homecoming ($117 million) and Thor: Ragnarok ($123 million). In comparison, Deadpool earned $132 million its opening weekend, and Man of Steel made $128 million.
Expectations for the new MCU movie are incredibly high. As the first superhero movie lead by a black protagonist, many hope Black Panther will inspire a new generation of comic book fans to engage with the Marvel brand. Similarly, the release of Wonder Woman last year wowed audiences and boosted interest in the otherwise lackluster DC Cinematic Universe.
While the MCU doesn’t struggle with disappointing reviews as the DCCU does, the studio still hopes Black Panther will signify a shift to more on-screen diversity and a broader range of characters and stories.
Black Panther premieres in the U.S. on Friday, February 16.