‘This is a massive W’: Believe the hype, because ‘Wicked’ has already earned more at the box office than a legendary MCU movie

Talk about defying gravity, because Wicked is already breaking records after just one day in theaters. In the run-up to the twin release of the Oz-sent musical and Gladiator II, there was talk that it could be a “Barbenheimer 2.0” — a fierce war between two cinematic titans. As it happens, it’s already abundantly clear who’s the lion in this battle, as Wicked‘s Thursday night preview performance was anything but cowardly.

The numbers are in and Wicked magicked up a whopping $19.2 million at the domestic box office on Thursday night. In contrast, Gladiator II earned itself a solid if unspectacular $6 million. So much for Glicked, because director Jon Chu’s fantastical extravaganza has straight-up sprinted past its immediate competition to become the fastest money-making musical ever. To put those figures in context, Wicked‘s preview gross is just shy of 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick ($19.3 million) and way past a totemic MCU movie — 2012’s The Avengers, which brought home $18.7 million from domestic previews.

Considering musicals have become such a dirty word in Hollywood of late, after a string of stage adaptations that performed poorly at the box office (Cats, Mean Girls, West Side Story… The show must go on and so does the list), this is a big deal. Are Ariana Grande’s Glinda and Cynthia Erivo‘s Elphaba about to change the fate of movie musicals for the better, and for good?

As one excited fan put it, this triumph over the actual Avengers could well “blow everything out of the water.” Er, actually, ixnay on the aterway around Elphaba.

Long-term Wicked lovers are feeling like the Jedi Force ghosts at the end of Return of the Jedi right now.

Some are already predicting Wicked is on course to cross $1 billion when the curtain goes down. And, going by these early stats, they might be onto something.

Others are foreseeing some major Oscar buzz, too. A commercial and critical hit? It looks like Wicked‘s all set to keep dancing through life.

“This is a massive W,” announced another X user. What else is there to say about the wonderful way things worked out for Wicked?

To be clear, there are still many other Marvel movies that scored bigger previews than Wicked, including Doctor Strange 2, Thor 4, and every Avengers film barring the first, but this remains a huge win for the progeny of such an undervalued genre. Wicked‘s $19 mil is half of what Deadpool & Wolverine made on its opening Thursday ($38 million) earlier this year, but the stage is certainly set for it to fly on its broomstick to a billion if this momentum continues.

And thank goodness, because — I may be a sentimental man — but if Wicked can make this much moolah in one short day then no one will mourn not seeing the film by the end of its theatrical run. I’ve now run out of Wicked song titles to crowbar into my copy for Shiz and giggles, so all that’s left to say is you know what to do with your weekend. Wicked fans assemble.