It may lose top spot at the North American box office this weekend to Pacific Rim Uprising, but it’s celebration time for Disney and Marvel Studios as Black Panther has officially overtaken 2012’s The Avengers to become the highest-grossing superhero movie of all time in the United States.
By close of play on Saturday, the Chadwick Boseman-headlined solo movie has earned $630 million, compared to the $623.4 million haul of The Avengers. That makes it the fifth biggest domestic release in history, currently sitting behind Jurassic World on $652.3 million.
Globally, Black Panther has amassed an incredible $1.223 billion to date, meaning that it has also overtaken Iron Man 3 ($1.215 billion) to become Marvel’s third biggest earner worldwide (and the third biggest superhero movie ever) behind The Avengers ($1.519 billion) and Avengers: Age of Ultron ($1.405 billion).
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After the events of Captain America: Civil War, King T’Challa returnsohome to the reclusive, technologically advanced African nation of Wakanda to serve as his country’s new leader. However, T’Challa soon finds that he is challenged for the throne from factions within his own country. When two foes conspire to destroy Wakanda, the hero known as Black Panther must team up with C.I.A. agent Everett K. Ross and members of the Dora Milaje, Wakandan special forces, to prevent Wakanda from being dragged into a world war.
Black Panther sees Ryan Coogler (Creed) directing Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa alongside Lupita Nyong’o as Nakia, Michael B. Jordan as Erik Killmonger, Danai Gurira as Okoye, Winston Duke as M’Baku, Forest Whitaker as Zuri, Daniel Kaluuya as W’Kabi, Angela Bassett as Ramonda, Florence Kasumba as Ayo, Martin Freeman as Everett Ross, Andy Serkis as Ulysses Klaue, Letitia Wright as Shuri, Sterling K. Brown as N’Jobu, John Kani as King T’Chaka and Nabiyah Be as Linda.
