Marvel movies are finally heading back to China, with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania becoming the first Marvel Cinematic Universe titles to secure Chinese release dates since 2019.
Per The Hollywood Reporter, the two MCU films will release in Chinese theaters next month, with Wakanda Forever opening on Feb. 7 and Quantumania hitting the big screen on Feb. 17, day-and-date with North America. The last Marvel titles that were approved to open in China were Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: Far From Home in 2019. This means that Wakanda Forever will be the first and only Phase 4 film to release in China as Black Widow, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Eternals, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Thor: Love and Thunder were all blocked for various, undisclosed reasons.
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, superhero films released by Marvel Studios have struggled to achieve returns similar to pre-pandemic releases, with Black Widow, Eternals and Thor: Love and Thunder all underperforming at the box office. However, with the world's second-largest theatrical market back in play, some fans believe Wakanda Forever has a shot at reaching $1 billion at the global box office. The 2022 sequel has currently earned $835 million, meaning the film needs to earn at least $165 million in China and its remaining markets. The first Black Panther grossed $105 million in China in 2018. Quantumania is also expected to perform similarly to Ant-Man and the Wasp, which grossed over $121 million in China in 2018.
Wakanda Forever Heads to Home Video
Although Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is still playing in theaters across North America, Marvel Studios has already begun preparing for the film's release in digital and home video markets. The Phase 4 film will debut on Disney+ on Jan. 20, ahead of its home video release on Feb. 7, the same day it hits Chinese theaters. In Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Queen Ramonda (Golden Globe winner Angela Bassett), Shuri (Letitia Wright), M’Baku (Winston Duke), Okoye (Danai Gurira) and the mighty Dora Milaje fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of the death of their beloved King T’Challa.
Starring Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly as the titular superhero duo, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania will launch Phase 5 of the MCU with an Avengers-level film that pits the pint-sized heroes against the time-traveling supervillain, Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors). Quantumania also stars Kathryn Newton as Cassie Lang, Michelle Pfeiffer as Janet van Dyne, Michael Douglas as Hank Pym, Randall Park as Jimmy Woo and Bill Murray as Lord Krylar.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever opens in China on Feb. 7, followed by Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania on Feb. 17.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter