Black Panther continues to best other superhero films, passing Wonder Woman at the domestic box office and Suicide Squad globally. Despite everything from The Hunger Games to Frozen proving women-led films were box office goldmines, it wasn’t until Wonder Woman surprised everyone last year that studios seemed to perk up. Similarly, from Blade to the Fast & Furious franchise, films showcasing people of color in the lead bring more people (and money) to theaters. It’s for that reason theater owners have been demanding more diversity in movies for years, and Black Panther once again proves how effective they are.

Every day seems to bring news of a new record Black Panther has broken as it continues to climb the box office charts. Yesterday, we learned Black Panther is now the MCU’s third-highest earner at the domestic box office. By this weekend, Black Panther will have passed Avengers: Age of Ultron ($459M) to become the second highest-grossing MCU film ever domestically behind only The Avengers ($623.4M). In the meantime, the film has now surpassed a pair of DC Comics adaptations in the U.S. and worldwide, respectively.

Exhibitor Relations is reporting that Black Panther brought in another $10M at the domestic box office Tuesday for a total of $421M, which puts it past Wonder Woman’s final haul of $412.6M. That also places it above all other DCEU films at home, and after only 12 days in theaters. Worldwide, the movie now stands at $748M, eclipsing Suicide Squad ($746.8M) and approaching the top DCEU films Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice ($873.6M) and Wonder Woman ($821.8M).

Black Panther should easily pass Wonder Woman globally this weekend, and Batman v Superman will meet the same fate soon as well. In terms of the MCU, Black Panther is the eighth-highest worldwide but will jump up at least one place this weekend. If estimates hold and it breaks $1 billion, then only The Avengers ($1,518.8B), Avengers: Age of Ultron ($1,405.4B), Iron Man 3 ($1,214.8B), and Captain America: Civil War ($1,153.3B) will be above it.

Black Panther set a new February IMAX record as well, as select scenes were specially formatted for IMAX. Given the scope of Wakanda, it’s no wonder so many fans have wanted to witness the film in the large format. And with Black Panther beating Deadpool’s previous February opening record, the film further proves that movies outside of the traditional summer and holiday windows can pull in big money. As Marvel expands their output and even Fox is aiming for 3 Marvel films a year, spring and fall releases will allow blockbusters more room to breathe.

All things considered, Black Panther isn’t alone in shaping the future of tentpole cinema - but it certainly marks a turning point.

MORE: Kendrick Lamar Wants To Play Black Panther 2 Villain

Source: Exhibitor Relations

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