The theatrical release of Black Panther gets off to a strong start, with the Marvel movie setting the opening day box office record in the UK for 2018 so far. A Black Panther film has been a long time coming, with a cinematic feature on the titular character being held back and delayed for a multitude of reasons over the years. However, the hero of Wakanda has finally made it to the big screen.

So far, things are faring well for Black Panther, even ahead of its February 16 release date in the US. The film has been a critical smash, with praise for its blend of rich story and exciting action resulting in Black Panther sitting pretty as the top-rated Marvel movie on Rotten Tomatoes. With that in mind, predictions have been running high for the film's box office success, and so far that is proving to be accurate.

Related: Every Record Black Panther Has Broken

As it turns out, Black Panther has set the record for the highest opening day box office in the UK of 2018. The film's Tuesday debut pulled in £2.67 million from 550 locations, as reported by Screen Daily. This puts the movie ahead of Fifty Shades Freed, which held the record for just a single weekend with an opening day return of £2.66 million.

Although this record being broken is a solid indicator of an ongoing success, perhaps even more interesting is how Black Panther has fared against other Marvel and superhero movies at opening. The film fared better than some other recent superhero films, such as Thor: Ragnarok and Deadpool, which earned £2.13 million and £2.3 million respectively. With that taken into consideration, those predictions that Black Panther could hit the top five superhero openings ever could prove accurate.

In terms of pre-release ticket sales, Black Panther is faring very well in the US. The movie already holds the record for the highest number of IMAX pre-sales for a Marvel movie, and given the longevity at the box office of the best that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has had to offer, that's certainly a good sign that Black Panther is going to be a smash.

Of course, nothing is ever for certain in the world of cinema, but given how well Black Panther has been faring so far it's likely this success is going to keep rolling. With the film's soundtrack even topping charts, it's going to take something major to stop T'Challa from reigning supreme.

More: 15 Superpowers You Didn’t Know Black Panther Had

Source: Screen Daily