'Ant-Man and the Wasp' Makes Record Opening At Chinese Box Office

It looks like Ant-Man doesn't have to hold heists to make cash anymore. The hero has become a household one thanks to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and its global box office is proving how much money the former criminal can make on his own.

According to Variety, Ant-Man and the Wasp stung the box office abroad this weekend. The sequel made its debut in China, and moviegoer flooded theaters to watch the film.

So far, the MCU flick has earned a solid $68 million in China during its opening weekend. The staggering debut makes Ant-Man and the Wasp the fourth-highest opening for a Marvel film at their box office. The gross also boosted the film's weekend international earnings to a cool $71 million.

As for the film's global total, the sequel has done plenty well. Ant-Man and the Wasp has made a whopping $544 million globally. $333 million of that has come from overseas while the remaining $212 million was spotted by North American viewers. Right now, the film has one more major market left to open in as Japan has yet to premiere the MCU flick.

When it comes to competition, Ant-Man and the Wasp at the tailend of the Marvel pack. So far, the sequel sits in-between Iron Man and Ant-Man in terms of total gross. The very first MCU feature made more than $585 million when it debuted back in 2008. As for Ant-Man, the origin story drew in nearly $520 million during its 2015 run.

Of course, it doesn't seem too likely that Ant-Man and the Wasp will outdo the MCU's other box office grosses of 2018. Earlier this February, Black Panther stormed into cinemas and has become one of the franchise's most defining installments. The feature made a stunning $1.35 billion at the worldwide box office, but it was usurped in April by the Mad Titan.

Yes, Avengers: Infinity War made as much money as you may have guessed. The epic film hit theaters this spring, and it brought in a staggering $2.05 billion along the way. It is now the fourth-highest grossing movie worldwide to date behind titles like Avatar, Titanic, and Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Are you surprised by this box office success? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!