New data revealed whether Black Panther: Wakanda Forever underperformed for Marvel Studios.
2022's MCU return to Wakanda, was one that was hotly anticipated, as fans pondered how director Ryan Coogler and the film's stacked cast would handle the passing of Black Panther actor Chadwick Boseman.
The film ended up becoming one of the year's biggest films, taking home the record for the highest box office total of a female-led superhero movie ever in the United States.
But is it considered a success in the book of Marvel Studios?
Black Panther 2 Profits Revealed
A new report from Deadline revealed just how much Black Panther: Wakanda Forever took home after all expenses were accounted for.
The Wakandan epic did good numbers at the box office, earning $454 million domestically and $389 million internationally. Those totals put the film at a final worldwide gross of $859 million USD with Disney taking home just over half that at $450 million.
This $859 million worldwide number puts the film roughly $500 million behind Black Panther's $1.382 billion total from 2018.
Black Panther 2 also brought in an additional $155 million in home entertainment revenue and another $170 million from TV/streaming.
That all means, when all was said and done, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever generated a total of $750 million, but did it turn a profit?
Factoring production costs ($200 million), print and advertising ($140 million), video costs ($55 million), residuals ($30 million), interest and overhead ($36 million), and participations ($30 million), Black Panther 2 cost $491 million to make, advertise, and distribute.
That means, when all was said and done, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever ended up turning an estimated profit of $259 million.
This is significantly less than the $476.8 million profit mark set by the original Black Panther film. However, one has to remind themselves that Wakanda Forever was released into a theatrical environment that is recovering after years of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Another variable here is the significant lack of a Chinese release for the film. Wakanda Forever only recently started playing in the Chinese market, something that accounted for $105 million of Black Panther's original worldwide box office total.
When compared to 2022's Thor: Love and Thunder, Wakanda Forever fared much better, more than doubling Love and Thunder's take-home profit of $103 million.
Was Black Panther 2 a Success?
So, with all that data, was Black Panther: Wakanda Forever actually a success for Disney and Marvel Studios? The simple answer is, yes.
Ryan Coogler's Wakanda sequel was a worthy endeavor, getting into the black by quite a bit.
Sure, it may have underperformed when compared to its predecessor in Black Panther, but that is a lofty bar to strive for, especially given the circumstances under which Wakanda Forever was made and released.
One has to remember the first Black Panther film was a cultural phenomenon, as Marvel Studios built anticipation for the (then) imminent Avengers: Infinity War. The 2018 film currently sits as the 15th biggest box office hit of all time, and — while its sequel had the chance to get up there — it was never already starting from behind given the state of the theatrical business.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is available now to stream on Disney+.
