As 2017 winds down, we’re now less than eight weeks away from the release of the first superhero movie of 2018, and according to early box office predictions, Marvel’s Black Panther is set to enjoy a domestic opening weekend of around $90 million.
While that is a drop from this year’s three MCU efforts – Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 ($146.5 million), Spider-Man: Homecoming ($117.0 million) and Thor: Ragnarok ($122.7 million) – Black Panther is of course a new and untried property, save for Chadwick Boseman’s appearance as T’Challa in Captain America: Civil War. Marvel’s last original franchise, Doctor Strange, opening to $85.1 million back in 2016.
This early estimate is also just shy of Justice League’s $93.8 million debut in November, and given that tracking is often wide of the mark, it will be interesting to see whether Black Panther has enough to surpass DC’s premiere superhero team when it opens this February.
SEE ALSO: 14 new images from Marvel’s Black Panther
After the events of Captain America: Civil War, King T’Challa returns home 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 and Nabiyah Be as Nightshade. The film is set for release on February 12th in the UK and on February 16th in the States.
