Black Panther is now in theaters and Ryan Coogler’s movie has surpassed box office expectations, and garnered almost universally positive reviews. Marvel’s first movie of 2018 brings a fresh new feel to the MCU, introducing audiences to King T’Challa’s world, Wakandan technology, culture, and beliefs. But it also recalls a key element of 2008’s Iron Man: the feeling that great change is coming to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It’s no surprise that fans and people of both African and African-American descent were hyped to see a Black Panther solo movie, especially with its release right in the middle of Black History Month. The movie is a perfect landmark for black culture and its place in both domestic and global blockbuster entertainment, crushing box office expectations with a massive $200 million opening weekend, and accumulating over $700 million worldwide in its first 10 days. By now, everyone is aware of T’Challa’s importance in the MCU. His country of Wakanda is well-known for its vibranium, the ore that makes up Captain America’s shield. He is now both king and diplomat. He has a genius level I.Q. (only briefly hinted at in the movie in a conversation with his equally brilliant sister, Shuri), nearly limitless wealth, and is one of the most accomplished fighters in the world, right alongside Captain America himself. With Infinity War looming, actors’ contracts ending, rumors of the possibility that some Avengers will be killed off, new characters are being introduced to usher in Marvel’s next phase. It’s clear that Black Panther will have an important role in the future of the MCU.
Of course, T’Challa won’t be alone. We’re going to meet Brie Larson’s Carol Danvers soon, and Captain Marvel will prove to be one of the most powerful beings yet introduced in these films. Danvers’ military background will make her a qualified leader, while T’Challa can provide the Avengers with funding for housing, transportation, and other endeavors. Thanks to his diplomatic status, he’ll have more pull and access to government entities than Tony Stark or Steve Rogers ever could have, allowing the Avengers to move more easily through the bureaucratic red tape inside the Marvel Universe, a skill they can certainly use after the events of Civil War. Much like the co-captain team of Stark and Rogers for the first lineup of Avengers, Marvel may build a similar dynamic between Captain Marvel and Black Panther, with Carol Danvers taking the military hero role, and T’Challa filling in the role of billionaire/super genius/superhero. It’s possible that as early as Avengers 4 in 2019, we’ll see a female and an African share command of one of the biggest superhero ensembles to date on the big screen. That’s a big milestone for race and gender representation. These scenes also echo the source material. In the comics, it was during T’Challa’s actual induction into the Avengers that he decided to address the United Nations and become more involved with the issues of poverty and violence in the inner city by going undercover as a high school teacher named Luke Charles. It was during this same time that Hank Pym has his breakdown before resigning and leaving Black Panther to be appointed as leader of the Avengers. The last few years of Marvel Comics have seen Black Panther play an increasingly central role in the Marvel Universe. Jonathan Hickman’s New Avengers comics focused heavily on Black Panther’s role on the team, and even led to T’Challa to founding a new ensemble of heroes (with Captain Marvel) called the Ultimates. He played a pivotal role both in the fight against Thanos in Infinity and the 2015 Secret Wars event. While it’s unlikely those specific stories will be adapted, when Marvel foregrounds a particular character or team on the page, it often means they’re setting the stage for their cinematic future, as well. Of course, this is all just speculation but one thing is certain, we’re going to see a lot more of Black Panther and his world on screen in the next few years. We’ll next see him in Avengers: Infinity War, which opens on May 4.
