The Introduction Of Prince T’Challa
While Chadwick Boseman has many screen credits to his name (ER, Justified, Fringe – to name just a few), it has only been in very recent years that he has achieved movie-lead status (42, Get On Up). This means that, broadly speaking, he has the element of surprise on his side when he first appears onscreen in Captain America: Civil War as Prince T’Challa of Wakanda. Sharing a scene with Marvel veteran Scarlet Johansson, Boseman fills the screen with his regal presence and, in a film founded in familiarity, that is glorious to behold.
In the scene, Black Widow has travelled to Vienna for the signing of the Sokovia Accords, and makes a point of approaching Prince T’Challa to extend her condolences and express remorse. In addition to the many lives lost in Lagos at the beginning of the film, 11 Wakandans were killed in the building accidentally destroyed by Scarlet Witch, and the conversation here is of a diplomatic nature.
Prince T’Challa speaks to Black Widow of his nation, his people, and his father – King T’Chaka – before introducing the spy to the monarch. A brief exchange between father and son reveals a reluctance in the younger man to accept a diplomatic role, but such reservations are soon overtaken by a deadly turn of events.