Ryan Coogler knows how to make a successful Marvel movie. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has held onto the top spot in the US box office for five weeks. Not only does that make it one of the highest-grossing movies of the year, but it ties a record Coogler set in 2017.
The first Black Panther also sat at the worldwide number one position for five straight weeks, making Wakanda Forever the second action movie on the trot from Coogler to accomplish such a thing. That’s no small feat for a director on his fourth feature overall. As of now, Black Panther 2 is third, behind Top Gun 2 and fellow MCU movie Doctor Strange 2 in the US 2022 box-office, though it looks like it’ll leapfrog the latter soon.
It’s unlikely the fantasy movie will overtake Tom Cruise’s legacy sequel, since Top Gun: Maverick has earned over $700 million in cinema takings in the US, and amost $1.5 billion worldwide. In terms of global returns, Black Panther 2 is at just over $760 million, putting it in Cruise’s rearview mirror, for now at least.
None of this is surprising given the fandom surrounding Black Panther and Wakanda. The first film, led by Chadwick Boseman as the titular MCU character, was extremely well-regarded, leading into this second outing.
The follow-up was complicated by Boseman’s passing, and Covid-19, making both the storyline and filming difficult. However, many believe Coogler’s pulled it all off with gusto, not least our Charlotte Colombo award four stars in her Black Panther 2 review.
For this new installment, we meet a new Black Panther, who takes on Namor, in a battle for the future of Wakanda. Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, Lupita N’yongo, and more star in the adventure movie.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is in cinemas now. Have a look at our guides to Ant-Man 3, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3, and Marvel’s Phase 5 for what’s next in the franchise.