We are already in April, mere weeks away from the movie event of the year in Avengers: Infinity War, and Black Panther is still resting comfortably in the top five at the box office. The staying power of Marvel's unprecedented smash hit is historic and the film will likely still be playing to adoring audiences come the end of the month, allowing for a great double feature with Infinity War. And not long after Thanos comes to town, fans will be able to visit Wakanda again, from the comfort of their own homes, as Black Panther arrives on home video next month. You can check out Marvel's announcement video, below.
This might seem soon, but release windows for Hollywood movies have gotten shorter and shorter in the past decade and three months is pretty normal. What is surprising is that Black Panther may still be trucking along in theaters by the time the Blu-ray is out. It's also unsurprising that Disney and Marvel want to keep the Black Panther money train rolling. Just as the film winds down in theaters and there are other movies to see on the big screen, Marvel will give audiences a chance to continue to watch Black Panther multiple times in the comfort of their own homes. The release comes right after Infinity War, too, so audiences may be riding a Marvel high and more willing to plunk down some money to own the groundbreaking film.
While physical media is dying a slow death, from the looks of the set, I think this is a definite purchase and one that merits the better format. As the legs at the box office can attest to, this movie has serious re-watchability and Rachel Morrison's photography should look beautiful on home video. I'm especially curious to see how the scenes in the ancestral plane look on a quality 4K set with HDR. The Marvel Entertainment Twitter post also includes a link to the various editions of the movie releasing next month and those do not disappoint. The vendor exclusive Blu-rays each have some cool bit of fan service to them, whether it be a behind-the-scenes booklet, trading cards or just killer box art.
As if this movie hasn't made enough money already, it should make a killing on home video. This is a brilliant release strategy, as well. The excitement about Infinity War will drive Black Panther sales and re-watching Black Panther may even encourage people to head out to the theater to see another adventure in Wakanda. Marvel is already playing up the Wakanda setting in the latest marketing for Infinity War, too. A new TV spot features plenty of the African nation, as well as some Okoye humor and T'Challa chanting with his fellow Wakandans before charging into battle.
Ryan Coogler's film hits digital, Movies Anywhere and 4K UHD on May 8th and Blu-ray on May 15th. You can see T'Challa return to the big screen in Avengers: Infinity War, in theaters on April 27th, or check out what's coming in the next adventure with our full guide.
