‘Black Panther’ Sets New First Day Advanced Ticket Sales Record for an MCU Film

Unsurprisingly, the release of the first major comic book movie with a black hero in over a decade is on the verge of setting box office records. Technically Hancock was the last superhero film with a black superhero, but that was an original property, so Black Panther will be the first major comic book film since 2004's Blade: Trinity to feature a black hero.

The Blade films, along with Hancock and Spawn, weren't exactly set within the world of a larger cinematic universe with a built-in fan base either, all of which has led Black Panther to become the current record holder for first day ticket sales in the MCU. According to Deadline, the film surpassed the number of tickets sold by Captain American: Civil War on the first day tickets went on sale. 

There's obviously still a long way to go between now and Black Panther's release date of February 16, but if the film's opening somehow tops Civil War's first weekend haul of $179 million, the film would smash records, becoming the highest grossing origin film in comic book movie history, as well as a spot in the top six opening weekends of all-time. It's a pretty high mountain for any film to climb, let alone an origin film, but it wouldn't surprise me even a little if this film becomes a cultural and box office phenomenon on the same level as last summer's Wonder Woman.

For the record, Deadline also said that the film is currently projected for an opening weekend haul of between $80 and $100 million, so it's not time to crack open the record books just yet. There's no denying, however, that the film is going to be a box office juggernaut. Black Panther opens on February 16.