The Marvel and Disney superhero pic opens Feb. 16.
Critics so far are purring loudly over Black Panther, which boasted an early Rotten Tomatoes score of 100 percent after the first 55 reviews posted on Tuesday.
The score could easily change, considering the Disney and Marvel Studios superhero pic doesn’t debut in North American theaters until Feb. 16. By that time, more than 300 reviews are expected.
If the aggregated score stays at 100 percent, Black Panther will become the first title in either the Marvel Cinematic Universe or the DC Extended Universe to earn the perfect score. Both Wonder Woman (DC) and Captain America: Civil War ranked at 100 percent on Rotten Tomatoes early in the review process, but ended up at 92 percent and 91 percent, respectively.
Directed by Ryan Coogler, Black Panther stars Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa/Black Panther alongside Lupita Nyong’o, Michael B. Jordan, Daniel Kaluuya, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker and Andy Serkis.
The movie is the 18th title in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. One major tracking service shows Black Panther debuting to more than $130 million domestically over the long President’s Day weekend, with many box-office observers putting that number closer to $150 million.
Box Office Updates Lupita Nyong’o Black Panther