China Ends Marvel Films Ban after Over 3 Years

Marvel films are returning to the big screens in China for the first time in more than three years.

“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” will hit the Chinese theatres on 7 February, Marvel announced on the Chinese social media platform Weibo, whereas “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” will follow on 17 February, the same day it comes out in the US.

The two movies are the first Marvel films since 2019’s “Avengers: Endgame” and “Spider-Man: Far From Home” to be shown in China.

A slew of the studio’s superhero movies has been shut out of Chinese theatres since then, including “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” “Eternals,” “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” and “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.”

The list of the biggest films hitting Chinese theatres for the holiday includes “Full River Red,” a comedy by internationally renowned director Zhang Yimou, and “The Wandering Earth 2,” a prequel to the 2019 sci-fi hit.

Meanwhile, the James Cameron blockbuster “Avatar: The Way of Water” will remain in Chinese theatres during the holiday after achieving $200 million since it was released there last month.