Let it be known that Black Panther is not your average superhero movie.
Sure, there are elements of an origin story sprinkled throughout Ryan Coogler’s MCU spinoff, while its titular king runs about in a “bulletproof catsuit,” but beneath the surface is an inspired, nuanced and, crucially, Afrocentric tale of heroism and family, as Chadwick Boseman’s grieving T’Challa takes his seat on the throne.
What follows is a sweeping, operatic family drama, one critics are calling the most accomplished addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe to date. As for what sets Black Panther apart from its superhero peers, Boseman believes the MCU owes a great debt to Ryan Coogler, the director behind the lens.
I feel like it’s definitely a Ryan Coogler film. There are certain choices that are made that are distinctly his stamp on it… If we start talking about sequels — if we do four of them, two of them, three of them — I just want them all to be special like this one.
Both Boseman and Coogler have already kicked around ideas for a sequel, then, which likely won’t be with us until after Avengers 4 launches in May of 2019.
Still, the future is bright for the people of Wakanda, and during the creation of Black Panther, Ryan Coogler made it his mission to visit Africa in order to create a truly authentic portrayal of Marvel’s secret utopia.
Here’s what he had to say to Variety (h/t Heroic Hollywood):
I have to go [to Africa] if I’m making this movie. I’m not qualified just because I look like this… I tend to like movies where the filmmaker has a personal connection to the subject matter. I don’t know if you could find a group of films that deal with the Italian-American organized crime better than [The Godfather Trilogy], Mean Streets, and Goodfellas. Show me a movie about Brooklyn better than Do the Right Thing.
It’s been hailed as a Marvel masterpiece that effortlessly encloses a powerful political message within a kick-ass mainstream superhero movie, and we’ll be able to see if Black Panther is really up to snuff when Coogler’s spinoff opens Stateside on February 16th.
