Let's take a step back and marvel, no pun intended, on how much the superhero movie landscape has shifted. While we're all still basking in the success of Wonder Woman, the first major female comic book movie in a decade, it's been even longer since one led by an African-American. That would be 2004's Blade: Trinity, the final chapter in Wesley Snipes' groundbreaking trilogy that set the bar for the genre before we started this whole discussion about diversity.
And now, Marvel is hoping to raise the bar with Black Panther, packing an incredible all-star cast of African-Americans at the top of their game, in front of and behind the camera. After debuting the poster earlier today, the first teaser trailer is here and I think it's time to fire up the Black Power mixtape because this thing is lit.
Chadwick Boseman stars as T'Challa, king of the powerful African nation of Wakanda, a technologically-advanced civilization that has remained hidden away from the world. And it looks like the story picks up right where Captain America: Civil War left off, with Martin Freeman's Everett K. Ross interrogating Ulysses Klau (Andy Serkis), who has been to Wakanda and lived to tell the tale. Right away it's clear this is not going to be your typical superhero movie, but one about tribal politics, myth, and legend, with Black Panther serving as the shadowy protector of his people. And does Michael B. Jordan look badass playing the villain, Erik Killmonger, or what? Hell, they all look badass.
Directed by Ryan Coogler, with Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Daniel Kaluuya, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker, Sterling K. Brown, and Phylicia Rashad co-starring, Black Panther opens February 16th 2018.
