This seems like salt on the wound for Black Panther as Top Gun: Maverick eyes to snatch the all-time fifth-highest box-office earner spot in its decisive run during the Labor Day weekend across North American theatres. The Tom Cruise film is currently reigning at the 6th position concerning domestic earnings but is quickly inching closer to breaking Black Panther‘s record of $701 million by the end of Labor Day weekend.
Top Gun: Maverick About To Break Yet Another Record
The Paramount movie has been repeatedly hailed as the savior of theatres ever since Hollywood hopped on the latest pandemic-era trend of releasing big-budget theatrical productions on streaming services. The Joseph Kosinski film not only reignited the practice of a grand theatrical premiere but was also lauded by visionary directors like Quentin Tarantino for being a true cinematic spectacle that’s worthy of being a Tony Scott sequel.
The Tom Cruise starring Top Gun: Maverick has been inching closer every minute with its Labor Day weekend earnings toward breaking the long-held record of Marvel’s Black Panther on the top five earners list. A Forbes report now shows the film’s earnings in its 15th weekend to be $5.5 million. The Fri-Mon projected $7 million gross will definitively catapult it to earnings north of $700 million. Currently, Black Panther holds $700.4 million, but if adjusted for inflation (since 2018), the record amounts to $715 million.
The Drama Surrounding Black Panther in 2022
The reason why the Top Gun: Maverick record would prove to be salt on the wound for the visionary Marvel film is because 2022 hasn’t been kind to the film and its elements. Since the announcement of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the film and its cast have been shrouded in the tragic reminder of Chadwick Boseman‘s passing and his legacy at Marvel with the #RecastTChalla movement. A faction of the fandom claims that the best way to keep his memory alive would be to pass on the mantle instead of obliviating the role of T’Challa by not featuring the character in live-action films again.
The 2022 Emmys were a battleground for controversial claims as well since the award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance was won posthumously by the late actor for his role in What If…? Season 1’s second episode. For many, the award felt like a mockery since fans claimed that Boseman’s passing played a factor in forming a biased judgment. Despite the lasting and final performance that the actor left behind before his untimely death in 2020, the year has not been kind to Black Panther and Chadwick Boseman’s legacy. Top Gun: Maverick crushing the 2018 film’s domestic record would just go on to provide a final blow to its already injured facade.
Top Gun: Maverick is currently streaming on Paramount+.
Source: Forbes
