The new Marvel movie is continuing to smash through multiple records, on a wave of strong reviews and phenomenal word-of-mouth.
The flick managed to gross $242 million at the US box office up until close of play on Monday, scoring the second-highest four-day opening weekend of all time.
That’s behind only Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) on $288.1 million – and AHEAD of the most recent LucasFilm instalment, The Last Jedi, by a thin $400,000.
The worldwide total for the movie is currently an astronomical $426.6 million, meaning it should have little problem crossing $1 billion.
It’s already broken the record for the largest Presidents Day weekend ever, trumping Deadpool’s $152 million.
What’s more, its Monday total for yesterday – $40.2 million – has become the biggest Monday gross in US box office history; eclipsing The Force Awakens’ $40.1 million.
That, for context, is $7 million above Disney’s own in-house predictions.
That Monday number is what helped it nudge past The Last Jedi, but when you look solely at its first three days rather than first four days, the Star Wars flick still has the edge.
In terms of three-day openings (so Friday-Sunday in Black Panther’s case), the movie ranks as the fifth highest debut of all time – behind The Force Awakens ($248 million), The Last Jedi ($220 million), Jurassic World ($208.8 million) and The Avengers ($207.4 million).
Marvel have another surefire hit up their sleeves, too: Avengers: Infinity War will be unleashed on the world in April.
Black Panther is out now.