During a slow Thanksgiving weekend, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever outperformed Disney’s Strange World at the box office, the animated movie struggling to establish its feet. It’s hardly surprising that Wakanda Forever has performed well at the box office since its release earlier this month given that it is both the eagerly awaited sequel to 2018’s Black Panther and the last movie in Phase 4 of the MCU. Additionally, the film has received a tonne of praise from critics for its compelling and moving narrative, particularly for the way it honors the late Chadwick Boseman, who played T’Challa in earlier MCU movies. Strange World, meanwhile, has received mixed reviews from critics but has been praised for featuring an openly gay character in a prominent role.
Variety reports that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever won the box office despite a generally underwhelming Thanksgiving weekend, while Disney’s Strange World struggles to maintain its position. Thanksgiving Day brought in $8.1 million for the 30th MCU movie, and Friday brought in $18.2 million. However, Disney’s new animated film only made $5.2 million, bringing its opening weekend box office total to $11.9 million, far short of the $40 million projection.
Explanation of Black Panther 2’s Box Office Success
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’s unparalleled popularity may have overshadowed Stranger World’s holiday weekend release, despite the film’s underperformance given the unprecedented step it represents for representation in Disney movies. At the box office, the Black Panther sequel has been a standout for Marvel, capping out Phase Four with a film that pays homage to its past while also building upon it to produce something entirely new and original. A sign of the success of the franchise, Wakanda Forever also helped Disney surpass $3 billion in worldwide box office revenue in 2022.
In addition to paying tribute to Boseman’s life, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has done well at the box office since it is the final installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase Four. The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has continued to demonstrate its appeal with the success of movies like Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, despite some mediocre box office performers like Black Widow and Eternals during Phase 4. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the fourth and final movie in Phase 4, gave the Multiverse Saga’s first third an emotional and gripping conclusion while establishing themes and characters for the rest of the MCU.