Update: Black Panther has made $1.078 billion as of Sunday, March 11.

Marvel’s Black Panther has now crossed the $1 billion mark at the worldwide box office. Directed by Ryan Coogler from a script by Coogler and screenwriter Joe Robert Cole, Black Panther stars Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa, aka Black Panther, and Michael B. Jordan as Erik Killmonger, with several others rounding out the supporting cast. The film spent 24 years stuck in development hell, but it seems every one of those years was well worth the wait.

Black Panther opened in mid-February to stellar reviews and quickly became one of the highest-rated superhero films of all-time. Plus, it broke numerous pre-sale ticket records leading up to its release. But where Black Panther truly shined was at the worldwide box office. Black Panther passed Deadpool’s February opening weekend record and also surpassed every weekday record for a Marvel Studios film, but it’s record-breaking run at the box office didn’t stop there. Black Panther passed the $500 million mark at the global box office less than a week after hitting theaters, and it’s already passed the vast majority of Marvel movies at the domestic box office, including Avengers: Age of Ultron. And now, it has crossed yet another major milestone - one that wasn’t considered possible just a few months ago.

Deadline reports that Black Panther will cross $1 billion globally on Saturday, March 10 - the film’s 26th day in theaters. While its exact numbers haven’t released as of yet yet (this article will be updated with the numbers on Sunday), Black Panther’s box office haul in China has amassed at least $49 million as of Saturday, which puts the film just past the $1 billion mark combined with its global tally thus far.

Black Panther is now the 33rd movie ever to gross more than $1 billion at the worldwide box office, a number that has been growing rapidly in recent years due to skyrocketing ticket prices around the world, as well as continued added gimmicks such as 3D releases. Moreover, it’s the fifth Marvel Cinematic Universe film to hit that milestone; the other four being Anthony and Joe Russo’s Captain America: Civil War ($1.153 billion), Shane Black’s Iron Man 3 ($1.214 billion), and Joss Whedon’s Avengers: Age of Ultron ($1.405 billion) and The Avengers ($1.518 billion).

What’s interesting is that Black Panther is only the fourth non-team-up superhero film ever to cross the billion-dollar threshold, including 2013’s Iron Man 3. Aside from those two Marvel films, the only other truly solo superhero films that crossed $1 billion are Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight ($1.004 billion) and The Dark Knight Rises ($1.084 billion). Even though all the aforementioned numbers aren’t adjusted for ticket price inflation, it’s astonishing that Black Panther was able to cross that coveted milestone in only 26 days, let alone at all, especially considering that Iron Man 3 was the first movie to release post-Avengers, and Nolan’s films were based on one of the most iconic superheroes in existence.

Black Panther is now the 12th fastest movie to reach $1 billion; it’s situated between Civil War (24 days) and Bill Condon’s Beauty and the Beast (29 days), which both happen to be Disney movies. Considering how successful the movie has been thus far, it’s a forgone conclusion that Marvel will be making Black Panther 2. However, it’s unclear when that film will release when taking all of the studio’s plans into account, especially plans to go more cosmic in Phase 4. But fans shouldn’t have to wait too long to find out.

More: Will Black Panther Beat Infinity War At The Box Office?

Source: Deadline

  • Avengers: Infinity War Release Date: 2018-04-27 captain marvel Release Date: 2019-03-08 spider-man homecoming 2 Release Date: 2019-07-02 The Avengers 4 Release Date: 2019-04-26 Ant-Man 2 Release Date: 2018-07-06