Will Ant-Man and the Wasp continue Marvel’s box office momentum in India?

The year 2018 has proved to be a ‘Marvel’ous year for audiences as well as Indian film business with as many as three films coming from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) taking the box office by storm.

The third film to join the list is Ant-Man and the Wasp to be released on July 13. It is MCU’s twentieth movie and a sequel to 2015 release Ant-Man. The movie has already arrived with a strong force on its home turf with collections going up to $76 million from 4,206 North American locations.

Its predecessor earned as much Rs 10 crore at the Indian box office but more is expected from the sequel due to the Marvel buzz in India.

Releasing on February 16, the eighteenth film in MCU-- Black Panther, pocketed over Rs 50 crore in 13 days and in its opening weekend the super-hero flick grossed Rs 13.75 crore.

On April 27, Marvel fans witnessed the Avengers storm when Avengers: Infinity War not only raked in big numbers but also toppled The Jungle Book from its highest grossing Hollywood film title with a business of over Rs 200 crore.

While studio president Kevin Feige says India is an important market for Marvel studios, interest amid Indian moviegoers for MCU films have also increased over the years.

Industry sources keeping count of the number of Marvel films released in India peg the number at 32, generating over 100 admissions.

This data is enough to say that Marvel movies have gained traction in India.

But will Ant-Man and the Wasp propel Marvel’s growth in India? The fact that a fairly peripheral character in the Marvel universe could see a strong opening in the US is a testament to the studio’s lasting appeal both domestically and worldwide.

In addition, Hollywood films are making a mark in India so much that their Indian counterparts have no impact on their business despite releasing on the same date and such examples include faceoffs between Incredibles 2- Race 3, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom vs Kaala.

Ant-Man and the Wasp will face competition from a sports biopic Soorma which has got a screen count of 1,100 in India alone. But that's not it the Marvel film is also pitted against Dwayne Johnson's Skyscraper.

However, trade pundits expect Ant-Man and the Wasp to surpass opening day collections of Soorma which is likely to make Rs 2.5-3 crore.