This is it. Black Panther. The final piece of the puzzle and the last movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to be released prior to Avengers: Infinity War. So far, we’ve looked back at every single movie in the MCU to date, from Iron Man to Thor: Ragnarok, but we’re not done yet. Even though the movie was released just a few months ago, Black Panther has become one of the most beloved, successful and important movies in this franchise to date.
In the modern entertainment landscape, inclusion and equality are major themes with creators. That is a good thing. Audiences have a desire to see themselves represented on screen in exciting ways. Black Panther isn’t the first comic book movie to feature a black hero, as the Blade trilogy did that years ago, but it is the first ever to feature a predominantly black cast. There were plenty who felt this was a risky bet in some ways, even for Marvel Studios, who have earned a ton of good faith with audiences over the years. Risky or not, it’s a bet that paid off handsomely and one that provided Hollywood with an important lesson.
As of this writing, Black Panther has earned $1.32 billion at the worldwide box office. That makes it the tenth highest-grossing movie ever. Period.
