UPDATE: Black Panther's 4-day holiday total is $242 million, which tops Star Wars: The Last Jedi's 4-day total. The original article follows

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Marvel's Black Panther annihilates the all-time February opening weekend record at the box office that was previously held by Deadpool. It was long presumed the latest installment in the MCU would be another commercial hit for the studio due to a variety of factors. The marketplace had been relatively quiet since Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle dominated the holiday season, meaning moviegoers were starved for a new tentpole. Also, Black Panther sported an "event" feel several of the solo MCU films lack, seeing that it represented a new step forward for the franchise in terms of diversity. People were excited to see T'Challa take the lead in his own film, making Panther a perfect storm at the box office.

Once the latest projections for its debut rolled in, it became clear Black Panther was essentially a lock to rewrite the history books. Estimates for the four-day Presidents Day weekend pegged it for a haul in excess of $200 million - which is a mark the film nearly hit in its first three days of release in the United States. Panther didn't just break Deadpool's record, it blew it out of the water.

Related: Black Panther Moves MCU Out Of Iron Man's Shadow

According to Box Office MojoBlack Panther brought in a whopping $201.7 million during its opening frame. That not only tops Deadpool's four-day gross of $152.1 million, it's the fifth-highest opening weekend domestically ever. Black Panther comfortably beat fellow MCU releases Avengers: Age of Ultron ($191.2 million) and Captain America: Civil War ($179.1 million). The only Marvel movie to outgross Panther in the opening weekend is the original Avengers with $207.8 million - a figure Black Panther might eclipse in its extended holiday weekend total.

T'Challa in Black Panther

The fact Black Panther got off to this great a start is very noteworthy. Ryan Coogler's latest is the first entry in the MCU not featuring Iron Man to earn $150+ million in its debut, clearly establishing T'Challa as one of the franchise's biggest stars for Phase 4 and beyond. Critics and audiences alike praised the film for its compelling performances and smart, socially-relevant themes, with Kevin Feige himself considering it the finest achievement in the MCU to date. It's no surprise he's keen on having Coogler return for the sequelBlack Panther 2 could be one of the mystery movies Marvel has scheduled for 2020, or perhaps it'll come in 2021 while Coogler works on another project (like his drama Wrong Answer). Either way, a followup will definitely be officially green lit in the near future.

Elsewhere in the top 10, Peter Rabbit was an extremely distant second with $17.2 million and Fifty Shades Freed fell to third with $16.9 million. This weekend's other wide release, family film Early Man, had to settle for a seventh-place finish in its debut. Aardman's claymation piece brought in a meager $3.1 million, being overshadowed by the newest Marvel film and the existing holdovers. As for Black Panther, it should reign supreme at the top of the charts for at least a few weeks since there isn't much coming out that'll pose as a direct threat.

MORE: Every Record Black Panther Has Broken

Source: Box Office Mojo

Update Source: Broys Kit

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