Marvel and Disney would be very eager to see Black Panther: Wakanda Forever become a commercial success and function exactly as Black Panther did. 2022 has been a year of underperformance for them, and they would love it if wakanda forever would enter the Billion Dollar Club. But China could hamper their plans as it has banned another MCU Phase 4 movie. And that has totally enraged fans.
Why China is considered so important
Before the COVID pandemic, MCU movies did extremely well with Chinese audiences. Even though the studios only recouped 20% of their total domestic box office circulation, the numbers would still grab headlines for marketing purposes. Marvel has always been trying to meet China’s needs. Time and time again, MCU movies would have special scenes thrown in just to appeal to their audience. And you can’t blame Marvel for doing that, because China has proven to be very lucrative for movies like Infinity War and End of Gamewhich grossed $359 million and $629 million respectively outside of the country.
Also Read: Black Panther Wakanda Forever Ending Explained: How Many End Credit Scenes Are There In Black Panther 2?
Since the COVID pandemic, the Chinese government has not favored Disney movies. They have found one or the other reason to ban MCU movies every time. A movie like Shang Chi was specially designed for Chinese viewers. And yet, it was not allowed out because long before its release, lead actor Simu Liu had said something about the Chinese Communist Party in a video. In the same way, Eternals was banned because the CCP had a dispute with director Chloe Zhao.
Now according to The Hollywood Reporter, wakanda forever suffered the same fate after the DCs black adam “Thanks to the country’s steadily tightening control of censorship and nearly three years of strict COVID-zero policies.” And it’s costing the studios millions of dollars because China was a luxury for them. It is after all the second largest theater market in the world!
Also Read: ‘Please Give Mrs. Angela Bassett All the Awards Now’: Angela Bassett SHINES in Black Panther 2, Fans Heap Praise on the Star
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Would Suffer, But Not Much
Black Panther earned $1.344 billion largely from its $700 million domestic total. It has not become as popular in China as the avengers titles were. He made a total of $105 million in this Asian territory, which is good, but it proves that Black Panther is not the hottest product out there. So it is likely that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever reportedly delivered similar numbers with a bit of variability. And since all MCU movies have been banned in China for the past two years, Marvel/Disney wouldn’t have had huge expectations in the Chinese market in the first place. Ultimately, this would only mark a dent of around $80-100 million in wakanda foreveris the world total.
Also Read: Black Adam Rumored Not To Be Released In China Despite The Rock’s Huge Fanbase, Salty Marvel Fans Could Prevent Film From Breaking Even
What fans think of the Chinese ban!
Fan reactions to this news are indeed quite interesting. Here’s how they reacted to THR’s latest report:
Knowing their hacking game, they’ve probably all seen it before 😂
— Fullmetal Alsharpton (@ArtFehler) November 11, 2022
Did Black Adam deserve better?
Obviously Black Panther 2 won’t be released in China, but it’s such a shame that Black Adam didn’t either, he had a great chance
— Alexandro ⚡ (@Neil528491) November 11, 2022
China shouldn’t matter anymore!
So stop trying to satisfy them. Problem solved.
— Paul (@cameoxvi) November 11, 2022
Disney’s exact thought process now:
The industry needs to see China as a bonus, not as a way to artificially inflate the global soundtrack, has Avatar 2 been confirmed for release in China next month?
— Paul Ferrer (@paullferrer) November 11, 2022
This last tweet sums it up perfectly. Disney, and indeed all movie studios, should consider China as a bonus territory and not be solely dependent on their market. Agreed???
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is now in theaters.
Source: THR
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