‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' Opens With $181M Domestically, $331M Worldwide + Lupita Nyong’o Wants Idris Elba For ‘Black Panther 3’

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever dominated the box office over the weekend, setting a new November record, opening to a huge $181 million at the domestic box office and $331 million worldwide. Details on the box office takeover, as well as why Lupita Nyong'o wants Idris Elba for a third installment, can be found inside... Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever took over the box office and ranked in the hundreds of millions across the globe to prove it. The sequel to 2018’s Black Panther took in $181 million at the domestic box office during its opening weekend, making it the biggest November opening ever in the United States (beating 2013’s The Hunger Games: Catching Fire) and the second-highest opener of 2022, behind Multiverse of Madness with $187 million, according to Deadline. Overseas, the highly anticipated sequel earned $150 million for a global opening weekend of $331 million worldwide. WOOT! Wakanda Forever also scored the highest opening in history in Nigeria, where the film’s African premiere was held, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The film easily surpassed the DC superhero film, Black Adam, which is now in its fourth weekend at the box office. Black Panther 2, which opened in 4,396 theaters in the United States on Friday, grossed $84 million domestically, making it one of the biggest opening days of all time. Wakanda Forever ranks No. 13 on the all-time list of domestic launches. Releases from Disney and Marvel now account for all but one of the 13. When the first Black Panther film was released in 2018, it became a cultural phenomenon, debuting at $202 million domestically. The film, which starred the late Chadwick Boseman, became one of the MCU's crown jewels, grossing more than $1.34 billion at the global box office. Although a there hasn’t been any news about a third installment of Black Panther, Lupita Nyong’o already knows who she would like to join the star-studded cast. The Kenyan-Mexican actress, who plays Nakia, revealed to E! News who she had in mind and “it’s none other than the talented Idris Elba. ”Why not?" she asked, adding that "Idris should be in everything." The Luther star is no stranger to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), having appeared in several films as Thor's (Chris Hemsworth) friend and protector of the Bifröst, Heimdall, most recently in Thor: Love and Thunder for a post-credits cameo. If Idris makes the transition from Valhalla to Wakanda, he will not be the first person to appear in the MCU as two different characters. Gemma Chan first appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the Captain Marvel villain Minerva before assuming the role of Sersi in Eternals.Michelle Yeoh also appeared briefly in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 before taking on the role of Ying Nan in Shan-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. If you haven't seen Black Panther: Wakanda Forever yet, make sure you add it to your "to-do" list because it's exceptional! There's action, drama, and awesome production. It's also extremely emotional, so make sure you bring some tissues. There were also some major character returns and big moments that set up major movie plans. Totally recommend! Photo: Marvel Studios