Black Panther 2 ‘delivers the goods’ and is set for huge opening weekend

Highly-anticipated Black Panther sequel hits cinemas on 11 November, 2022

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is said to “deliver the goods” and is on course for the second-biggest opening weekend at the 2022 box office.

The highly anticipated Black Panther sequel is expected to earn around $175m (£156m) upon its initial release, following closely behind Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which debuted to $187m (£167m) in May.

Director Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther made history when making $202m (£181m) domestically in 2018, and went on to earn over $1bn (£896m) worldwide.

According to Variety, those who have seen “rough cuts” of the film, which is set to be released next month, say it “delivers the goods”.

The sequel comes after the death of Chadwick Boseman, who played T’Challa, in 2020.

Coogler and co-writer, Joe Robert Cole, rewrote the script after Marvel Studios decided against recasting Boseman’s role.

Wakanda Forever’s cast includes Angela Bassett, Lupita Nyong’o, Letitia Wright and Martin Freeman.

Speaking to People about the sequel following the loss of Boseman, Wright said: “I will always have moments on set of doubt, and I’ll be like, ‘Oh man, I don’t know if I can do this’.”

“I could just hear [Chadwick] be like, ‘Sister, you’re great. You got this. I’m proud of you.’ That really just kept me moving forward.”

“It was a unique experience to step back into this world without our leader,” said Nyong’o to the New York Times.

“When you have a sophomore film, there’s a lot of expectation. But I think the loss of Chadwick kind of took all that away.”

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever hits cinemas on 11 November, 2022 (Marvel / YouTube)

“I found myself having to radically accept that this was going to be different, and that showing up with as much openness as possible was key.”

The first film, which is the highest-grossing film by a Black filmmaker and the ninth highest-grossing film of all time, became a cultural milestone and phenomenon for its predominantly Black cast.

The year’s highest-grossing films to date are Top Gun: Maverick, giving Tom Cruise the biggest film of his career so far, which stands at $1.4bn (£1.2bn), and Jurassic Park Doninion, which has grossed around $1bn (£897m).

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will be released in cinema on 11 November, 2022.