While Black Panther has been one of Marvel's most important heroes in the comics for decades, many weren't familiar with the character until his introduction to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Captain America: Civil War. Nearly two full years later, T'Challa's first standalone adventure has propelled his popularity to new heights, with the Black Panther movie taking the world by storm. Besides being one of Marvel's most critically well received movies, Black Panther is also on its way to making $1 billion worldwide. But it isn't just at the box office where the movie is making a killing, as its merchandise sales could add up to approximately $250 million this year.
Compared to other franchises within the Disney family, like Frozen, Mickey Mouse and Star Wars, Black Panther's merchandising haul doesn't seem like much, but for a superhero movie, particularly one based around a character who wasn't on the general public's radar, it's impressive. For example, Black Panther has been doing wonders for Hasbro, as products like action figures and masks could net the company somewhere between $60 million and $100 million. CBS News also reports that LEGO, Funko, Fifth Sun and Lexus have all had great success with their Black Panther product pushes, though the companies wouldn't provide specific details on just what that success translates to in dollars.
The MCU has never had problems with churning out merchandise for its movies, whether it's products geared towards adults or toys for kids who aren't quite ready to actually enjoy the PG-13 tale yet. Still, for Black Panther to be raking in this much cash is a testament to how special this movie is to the MCU and the superhero genre, but to the movie landscape in general. From its primarily black cast to the majority of its action being based in the futuristic Wakanda, Black Panther truly feels unique, and while for some just paying to see the movie is enough, as the above information clearly shows, a lot of folks are eager to bring home some Black Panther merchandise as well.
While merchandising can be important for ensuring that certain blockbusters are profitable (ticket sales aren't always enough), as Black Panther closes in on its fourth week in theaters, it's obvious that the movie has its financial bases covered on all fronts. With the movie's merchandising having done so well, one can only imagine how this will improve for Black Panther 2 (which hasn't officially been announced yet).
Black Panther is still continuing its impressive run in theaters, and don't forget to read our review and To 3D guide for the movie. T'Challa and several of his Wakandan allies will return for Avengers: Infinity War on April 27. In the meantime, you can see what else the MCU has in development by checking out our Marvel movies guide.
