'Black Panther' beats 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' with highest Monday ever

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Marvel's newest superhero: History of the Black Panther

The 'Black Panther' is making his Marvel Cinematic Universe solo debut, but who is this warrior king and how long has he been an active superhero? Here's a history of the comic book character now coming to life on the big screen.

With a massive $40.2 million in ticket sales Monday, "Black Panther" has notched the biggest Monday ever at the box office and pushed its four-day total to $242 million.

The Walt Disney Co. again raised their box-office estimates for the Marvel sensation on Tuesday. The film's updated Monday performance narrowly tops the previous record, set by "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" in 2015 with $40.1 million.

The higher Monday figure gives "Black Panther" the second biggest four-day weekend, behind only the $288.1 million of "The Force Awakens."

Ryan Coogler's film is the first big-budget tentpole release featuring a nearly all-black cast. The movie's three-day gross of $201.8 ranks fifth highest all time, not accounting for inflation.