The calendar has finally turned to 2018 and this is probably the biggest year ever for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Marvel Studios has three films hitting theaters this year, with the crown jewel of a decade's worth of world building, Avengers: Infinity War arriving in May. With the main event coming so soon, I wouldn't have been shocking if one or some of the other titles got lost in the shuffle. However, for next month's Black Panther, there is little chance of that happening. Something about the film has really struck a chord with audiences and they are snapping up tickets left and right. So much so that even the stars of the film are having trouble getting tickets. Lupita Nyong'o, who plays Nakia in the film, spoke about her experience with trying to get tickets when they went on sale, saying:
It occurred to me I should get tickets, too, so that I can be there when the movie hits theaters and I can experience it with everybody. Fifteen minutes later, I kid you not, fifteen minutes later, I was trying to purchase tickets and they are sold out. Sold out. It told me that there was an error and I tried again, still the same error and every time I tried fewer seats, like there were no seats and I was unable to buy tickets to see Black Panther on opening night.
What a relatable experience. Who among us hasn't sat anxiously at his or her computer refreshing a page over and over to score tickets to a movie, a concert or some other anticipated event? It is no surprise either that she ran into problems. A new trailer was released during the CFP National Championship game to announce tickets going on sale and boy did it work. The trailer was awesome and Black Panther has now hit a pre-sale record, selling more tickets during the first day than any other previous Marvel film. So there's a good chance that Lupita Nyong'o wasn't the only one who couldn't get tickets and she sounds pretty surprised by the whole thing. You can check out her candid reaction, below.
Lupita Nyong'o will of course be invited to the premiere, but it has to be kind of fun for some actors to see the such a major film on opening night when all of the most enthusiastic fans are there. Hopefully, she'll be able to find some tickets for that weekend to see the film surrounded by all of the Marvel die-hards. For someone who couldn't get tickets Lupita Nyong'o sounds pretty stoked in her Twitter post about the enthusiasm around this film she is not alone.
I am very curious to see how well this film does opening weekend and how it stacks up to other films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Doctor Strange currently sits at $677 million worldwide as the highest grossing MCU origin film but even the director of that film thinks that Black Panther will top it. There is just something about this movie that has people super high on it. It has a lot going for it, too. Beyond the talented director and amazing cast, Black Panther will also give center stage to Captain America: Civil War's biggest scene stealer. Discovering Wakanda for the first time is an exciting prospect, as well, and the trailers have all teased something different, complete with a killer soundtrack. All of these elements add up to a concoction that has people buzzing.
Black Panther hits theaters on February 16th. Get your tickets now, if you can.
