Black Panther is finally here and it’s proven to be yet another smashing success for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Arguably even more so than most, however, as it’s produced a lot of talk about it being a cultural landmark that raises some big questions about racial identity.
Something else that’s unusual about the film is that it’s surprisingly standalone for a franchise that’s become more and more comfortable in tying each entry into the events of prior movies. Apart from a bit of backstory established in Captain America: Civil War, you hardly even need to know much else about the MCU to appreciate Black Panther.
Because of that, the movie is perhaps not as stuffed full of easter eggs as most Marvel films. That said, there is still a bit of set-up done for the next entry in the franchise, which is, of course, Avengers: Infinity War. Though the stage has already mostly been set for Earth’s Mightiest Heroes’ big showdown with Thanos, Black Panther works to put the last few pieces in place, and here’s how.
For starters, there’s Wakanda. Though the true nature of the fictional African nation has remained mostly hidden from the rest of the world up until now, at the end of the movie, T’Challa decides to finally change that, revealing to the UN that he’ll now be opening Wakanda’s doors, so to speak, and sharing their weaponry, science, tech, etc. Given that they’re by far the most technologically advanced country on the planet, that’s surely a good thing, as the Mad Titan is coming and the world is going to need Wakanda – and their Vibranium – to help stop him.
Which leads us to our next point. That aforementioned precious metal is essentially what most of Wakanda’s built upon. Whether it’s used to create incredibly powerful weapons, help heal injuries (like with Everett Ross) or engineer advanced tech, now that it’s being shared with the rest of the world, Earth will no doubt be getting an upgrade to their defense systems as Thanos approaches.
Last but not least, there’s the post-credits scene itself, which is perhaps the most substantial piece of set-up that Black Panther does for Infinity War. If you’ve seen the film already, you’ll know that it involves Bucky Barnes in Wakanda. He’s there with T’Challa’s sister, Shuri, who’s apparently helping him get better after the events of Civil War.
He looks to be alright from what we can tell, but Shuri tells him that there’s still much to learn – presumably hinting that he’s got a bit more work left ahead of him before he’s up to the task of joining the Avengers again. There’s also the fact that he’ll be getting an upgraded arm, which is no doubt the product of Wakanda and their advanced tech.
So, while it may be a mostly standalone outing, Black Panther still does plant a number of seeds that’ll blossom in Avengers: Infinity War, and we can’t wait to see where things go from here. The MCU is arguably in the best shape it’s ever been in and with Marvel pumping out one mega hit after another, fans are surely in for a treat when the next chapter of the franchise touches down on May 4th.
