It was within the pages of the Fantastic Four back in 1966 that Marvel Comics first debuted Black Panther which would mark the first African superhero to be presented in mainstream comic books. Despite what some have believed, the character does in fact predate the Black Panther Party and has no connection but the character did get name change to Black Leopard briefly before reverting back. While he wasn’t one of the first characters that was added into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Civil War finally brought Black Panther into the forefront and most knew it was only a short time before he was given his own film.
Black Panther is set roughly a week after what was seen in the Civil War film. The death of T’Chaka (John Kani) hasn’t just put T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) in a position to inherit the mantel of Black Panther but he’s also to assume the role of king of Wakanda. Tradition of the nation allows representatives of the tribes to challenge him for the throne, something that M’Baku (Winston Duke) attempts, but ultimately T’Challa is successful to continuing his family’s rule over the kingdom. When it is learned that an artifact made of vibranium has been stolen from a museum and is connected to Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis), T’Challa leaves to attempt to bring him to justice, dead or alive. He is aided by his sister Shuri (Letitia Wright) who has developed a number of technological advances for Wakanda as well as a new Black Panther suit, Okoye (Danai Gurira) or the Wakandan royal guard, and Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) who is his former lover. Klaue however manages to elude being brought to justice after he is rescued by Erik Stevens (Michael B. Jordan) who is trying to reach Wakanda himself with hopes of taking the throne and starting a revolution.
Some may wonder why characters already present in the MCU such as Falcon or James Rhodes as either War Machine or Iron Patriot haven’t been given their own standalone films instead of Black Panther. Falcon never seemed to gain quite the appeal as other characters and while he has been a longtime part of the Marvel Universe he’s only been given a limited series which ran for four issues in the 80’s, assumed the role of Captain America in the comic books after Steve Rogers retired, and only recently has been given his own series. The MCU has already presented enough of his background. Rhodes in the comic books at one time took over the role of Iron Man. This was following the Demon in a Bottle storyline which found Stark battling alcoholism and unable to continue as a hero. Rhodes took over as Iron Man for a period of time before Tony returned and eventually Rhodes assumed a new name, first as War Machine and then later as Iron Patriot. Again, I believe that his backstory has been adequately covered and honestly, a standalone film would be little more than an Iron Man movie just with a different title and undoubtedly an appearance by Robert Downey Jr.
Black Panther however provides a different opportunity and allows the MCU to not only give the character more history but it also lets fans now see a part of the Marvel Universe which in many ways is a huge part of its colorful tapestry. This of course comes in the form of Wakanda, T’Challa’s home and base of operations. The nation has for centuries isolated itself from the rest of the world. Much of this is due to the fact that Wakanda is a very self-sufficient nation. They have learned to create drastically advanced technology using the vibranium in the area and there are things beyond the scope of what the rest of civilization is capable of. Wakanda even has a means of cloaking the entire region so it appears to be nothing more than a third world country but once you journey beyond this, it’s a very different world. The film presents this as a place where science and culture merge together so while there are amazing scientific creations, there is also a presence of Wakanda’s unique look and feel, something that blends together different looks and styles of real world African cultures. This allows Wakanda to come across as a place that has a very real feel to it, something I never quite felt came across as well as it could have with Asgard in the Thor films.
As the new king T’Challa is dealing with a number of things. The first of course is trying to bring Klaue to justice. This was something his father never managed to accomplish and while he knew that his brother N’Jobu had sold vibranium to Klaue decades earlier, he never continued to pursue him. Klaue’s past is well known to most in Wakanda so the opportunity to finally stop him seems to be the best means to proving himself. The unexpected help from Stevens, who will eventually become the villain Killmonger, sidelines their mission however it does bring T’Challa a new ally in the form of Everett Ross (Martin Freeman), a CIA operative who ends up becoming one of the first outsiders to see Wakanda. T’Challa also must grapple with learning about his father’s past as well as possibly breaking away from what has long been a tradition of the country. They have remained hidden, never become involved in world affairs, and haven’t allowed their technology to be seen by anyone. There are those who wish to maintain this stance but T’Challa sees that this possibly may not be the best course of action for Wakanda. Perhaps it’s best it they do begin sharing what they have. However the arrival of Killmonger into Wakanda pushes this in a drastically different direction as the villain opts to use the weapons they have to create a massive uprising.
This premise of assisting the world comes with two different points of view and T’Challa being caught in the middle. Whereas Killmonger wants to use the technology for nefarious purposes, Nakita has a different opinion. She has seen the poverty and struggles outside of Wakanda and believes that using what they have to benefit civilization isn’t merely a bold step forward, but the right thing for them to do. However even a simple act of charity such as bringing Ross within the veil of Wakanda to treat him after he suffers grave wounds is seen as something negative. That combined with Nakita’s idea of allowing others inside their borders is met with the opinion that migrants will bring with them problems and thus eventually lower the standards of life within Wakanda. Traditionally Wakanda has for centuries kept itself hidden from the rest of the world and T’Challa is faced with a decision which will ultimately change the perception of everything. Does he continue following what other rulers have done before him or does he finally show the rest of the world what Wakanda has been hiding?
Black Panther doesn’t focus too much on the background of the character or the country. The film gives a brief history of Wakanda in the beginning as well as how the role of Black Panther has been passed from one ruler to the next. We see how this is accomplished through the means of various indigenous plants in the area but the movie doesn’t make it the entire focus. Instead we’re given just enough information to where there aren’t many questions. Instead it’s T’Challa and the people of Wakanda which become the main part of the film as it should be. With other heroes such as Spider-Man for example, we don’t need details on New York, we understand at this point how he got his powers and there’s no need to recap this in every film. Instead we simply need to understand the motivations behind the new characters and villains but with Black Panther, there is a great deal to learn and the film does as much as it can.
The blu-ray comes with plenty of bonus features. Fans will find the following extras included, and these are as per listed on the official press release:
Director’s Intro
From Page to Screen: A Roundtable Discussion – Delve into the film’s making
Crowning of a New King – Explore the world of “Black Panther” in all its color and complexity
The Warriors Within – Get to know Wakanda’s women and the actors who portray them
The Hidden Kingdom Revealed – Wakanda’s diverse people
Wakanda Revealed: Exploring the Technology
Deleted Scenes
Gag Reel
Exclusive Sneak Peek at “Ant-Man and The Wasp”
Marvel Studios the First Ten Years: Connecting the Universe
Director’s Commentary
Also, there are a few digital exclusives, something which seems to be a growing trend in the home video industry. These are minor but there are two different tourism spots for Wakanda. The blu-ray of course also comes with a code which can be used on Movies Anywhere or Vudu.
At this point, ten years after the Marvel Cinematic Universe officially started, the adaptations of the various characters and storylines hasn’t shown many signs of flaw. Granted, there are films in the franchise which aren’t necessarily as good as some of the others, but this is all point of view. Black Panther is a film whose time had been coming and honestly, it feels better that it wasn’t rushed into the forefront. Instead Marvel Studios found the right time to introduce the character into the MCU which of course was merely the tease into the first Black Panther film. All of these movies however have reached the ultimate goal which is bringing everyone together in Infinity War and if the films continue on their current course, there are still many years of amazing Marvel films waiting for fans, Black Panther is just another to add into what has already become an impressive collection of films.
Mike is the resident reviewer for Couponing to Disney and his own site Underland Online. He has a toddler daughter and is obsessed with Haunted Mansion and all things Disney. You can read Mike’s complete bio here.