‘Black Widow’ $80-million domestic debut is the biggest since the pandemic began
LA TimesMarvel’s “Black Widow,” the highly anticipated solo outing for veteran Avenger Natasha Romanoff, opened in first place this weekend with $80 million in U.S. and Canadian ticket sales. “Black Widow’s strong performance this weekend affirms our flexible distribution strategy of making franchise films available in theaters for a true cinematic experience and, as COVID concerns continue globally, providing choice to consumers who prefer to watch at home on Disney+,” Kareem Daniel, chairman of Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution, said in a statement. “It’s incredible to see audiences enjoying ‘Black Widow’ after two years without a new Marvel Studios film,” Disney Studios Chairman Alan Bergman said in a statement. The combined theatrical and Disney+ premier access opening puts the film squarely between “Black Panther” and “Captain Marvel” in terms of biggest domestic opening weekend for a Marvel origin story and marks the largest domestic opening since “Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker” opened in theaters in December 2019 to $177.4 million.