After three hugely successful movies in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Spider-Man: Homecoming and Thor: Ragnarok – not to mention the grand unveiling of Infinity War‘s first teaser trailer – 2017 will be remembered as another defining year for the folks at Marvel Studios.
But if the past 12 months have helped immortalize cult characters (Michael Rooker’s Yondu) and reaffirmed Tom Holland as one of the industry’s brightest young sparks, then 2018 is shaping up to be one for the ages. For the second year on the trot, Marvel will pump not one, not two, but three full-fledged MCU movies: Black Panther, Ant-Man and the Wasp, and the aforementioned Infinity War.
On paper, it’s a tantalizing roster by any stretch – from the sweeping power dynamics of Black Panther to the bite-sized action scenes of Ant-Man 2, Marvel’s 2018 lineup is nothing if not diverse – and it’ll all kick off with the release of Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther solo movie in February. That’s February 16th, to be specific, and today brings forth an all-new Japanese trailer for us to pore over.
Anchored by the returning Chadwick Boseman (Civil War), who reprises the role of T’Challa, the man who would be king, Black Panther largely revolves around a massive power struggle that grips Wakanda. It’s the fictional African nation on which T’Challa’s legacy is built, and it just so happens to have access to a rich mine of Vibranium.
That’ll likely play into the story of Infinity War, too, given the sequel’s initial teaser showed Black Panther, Blonde Black Widow, Bucky Barnes and a bearded Cap charging into battle against a wave of four-armed alien foes.
But let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves; long before Thanos touches down on Earth, Marvel and Ryan Coogler will launch Black Panther into theaters on February 16th. True to the source material, it’ll feature a predominantly African-American cast, which only has us all the more excited as Marvel opens its doors onto uncharted territory.
