China: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania Safe February Release Dates; First Marvel movies on the market since 2019

It’s been a long time coming, but it looks like China’s unofficial ban on Marvel is about to be lifted. Disney/Marvels Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania both secured a release date in China, ending a three-and-a-half-year period in which films featuring Marvel characters were denied access to the world’s second-largest box office market. Marvel posted the news on its Weibo account, check out the new Chinese posters for each film below.

Black Panther 2originally released elsewhere in November 2022 will set the table on February 7 while ant man 3 opens day and night in Chinese theaters along with North America on February 17. This makes them the first titles featuring a Marvel character in China since Sony/Marvel’s Spider-Man: Far From Home in June 2019 and the first Disney/Marvel films since then Avengers: Endgame earlier in the same year.

This is a very important turn that could signal a change in China’s attitude towards the mega-brand; We understand that this has been the case for some time.

China’s box office dropped an estimated 36% to $4.35 billion last year, with only a few Hollywood films coming in. As 20th Century Studios/Disney’s Avatar: the way of water Released in December, Day-and-Date was the first studio film to score a top spot in a long time. While it got off to a slow start when China abandoned its zero-Covid policy and public concerns about its risk, it has accelerated and has now earned $220 million. The film has also been extended to February 14, although it is expected to lose some steam when the Chinese New Year kicks off on January 22, which means a flurry of domestic titles.

As we previously reported, we hear that fear in government agencies is easing now that the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party and the Party’s 100th anniversary in 2021 are behind us. This was a big problem: no one wanted to make decisions or be seen as wrong at a time of geopolitical uncertainty and uncertainty in China. The Marvel issue appears to stem from cultural and political sensitivities.

Since Far away from homesuch as Marvel movies that do not have a slot in China are included Black Widow, Spider-Man: No Way Home, The Eternals, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Thor: Love and Thunder.

ant man Continuation, Ant man and the wasp grossed over $121 million in China in 2018, while the original Black Panther Earned just over $105 million earlier in the year.