Following the critics’ enthusiastic thumbs up, the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Ant-Man and the Wasp got off to an impressive start at the box office. According to Variety, the movie’s North American Thursday preview screenings raked in $11.5 million, easily surpassing the first Ant-Man installment, which made a decent $6.4 million when it debuted.
And that's not all. Ant-Man and the Wasp’s preview actually topped both Doctor Strange’s ($9.4 million) and Wonder Woman’s ($11 million).
It’s not likely that Ant-Man and the Wasp’s opening weekend will top those of Doctor Strange and Wonder Woman! (Photo Credit – Marvel)
Variety recently suggested that the Peyton Reed flick is likely to bring in something in the range of $70 to $80 million during its domestic opening weekend. However, Deadline projected closer to $81.5 million, which would be 42 percent higher than the $52.7 million that Ant-Man grossed in its first three days at the box office.
If those estimates stand, Ant-Man and the Wasp will fall short of both Doctor Strange ($85.1 million) and Wonder Woman ($103.3 million) for its opening weekend. But keep in mind that Marvel Studios put around $162 million into making the movie, so if the opening weekend makes back half if its budget, it can be considered a success.
From the Marvel Cinematic Universe comes a new chapter featuring heroes with the astonishing ability to shrink: Ant-Man and the Wasp. In the aftermath of Captain America: Civil War, Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) grapples with the consequences of his choices as both a superhero and a father. As he struggles to rebalance his home life with his responsibilities as Ant-Man, he's confronted by Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) and Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) with an urgent new mission. Scott must once again put on the suit and learn to fight alongside the Wasp as the team works together to uncover secrets from their past.
