Black Panther
Release Date: November 3rd, 2017
Character Synopsis: T’Challa, better known by his Black Panther moniker, is the king of the fictional African nation of Wakanda, the most technologically advanced country on the planet. The title Black Panther is ceremonial and given to the chief of the Panther Tribe of Wakanda. Wakanda is one of the most heavily guarded, secretive nations on the planet, thanks in no small part to the fact that vibranium, the rare and powerful metal that makes up Captain America’s shield, is found there.
Origin: T’Challa is the son of T’Chaka, the former Black Panther, who was murdered by an adventurer named Ulysses Klaw (more on him in a minute). T’Challa was next in line to become Black Panther and rule Wakanda, but had not yet earned the title. As such, his uncle S’yan passed the necessary trials and became Black Panther instead. While he ruled, T’Challa went on a Wakandan walkabout rite of passage and met and fell in love with Ororo Munroe, who you may recognize by her X-Men team name, Storm. After completing the walkabout, T’Challa earned the attributes of Black Panther by defeating various champions of the Wakandan tribes.
Powers: T’Challa doesn’t posses any superpowers, but does have heightened senses, the strength, speed, reflexes, stamina and agility of an Olympic athlete, and a genius-level intellect. He’s also a skilled gymnast and acrobat, and wields an array of vibranium weapons and technology, as well as a Black Panther uniform made from the metal.
Greatest Enemies: As I mentioned before, Klaw is a recurring Black Panther enemy. When he killed T’Challa’s father, the young T’Challa used Klaw’s sound weapon against him and his men, shattering the adventurer’s right hand in the process. He later returned to Wakanda to complete his vibranium-mining mission, armed with a sonic weapon to replace his hand.
Black Panther is also known for going toe-to-toe with Achebe, a poor farmer who sold his soul to the demon Mephisto and became a crazy warrior mystic; Erik Killmonger, a powerful warrior and political genius; Malice, the former bodyguard of T’Challa who possesses superhuman strength, speed and agility; Man-Ape, the ruler of the Jabari Tribe and Wakanda’s second-greatest warrior after T’Challa; and White Wolf, T’Challa’s adopted elder brother who led the Hatut Zeraze, an espionage police force but was banished when he began torturing and assassinating his rivals.
Casting: After years of rumors and speculation, Marvel finally announced an actor for Black Panther when they announced the film itself. 42 and Get on Up star Chadwick Boseman has been cast as T’Challa, and will actually make his debut in Captain America: Civil War a year prior. As for the rest of the cast, we’re unsure of what the Black Panther film will entail, but many have theorized that Andy Serkis will be playing Klaw, after a brief shot of him was seen in Avengers: Age of Ultron (which will introduce audiences to Wakanda and could very well contain a glimpse of Black Panther himself).
History and Future: A Black Panther film has been on the backburner for quite some time now. In 1992, Wesley Snipes expressed interest in taking on the project, but that obviously never materialized. Kevin Feige has long stated that a Black Panther film was on Marvel’s radar and reassured fans for years that T’Challa would be coming to the big screen. Now that the film has been confirmed, it marks the first time a black actor has led a superhero pic since Will Smith’s Hancock in 2008, and the first time it’s happened in the MCU.
Boseman (currently) has a five-picture deal with Marvel, meaning that Black Panther will factor heavily into Marvel’s Phase Three plans and is likely to become a member of the Avengers, just as he is in the comics. He’ll also serve as a stand in for Spider-Man during Civil War, seeing as Sony still owns the rights to the web slinger, which will put the character in the tough position of choosing between allying with Captain America or Tony Stark. What he chooses and how it affects not only his native land of Wakanda, but the rest of the MCU, remains to be seen.
– James Garcia