Three years ago today, a cultural behemoth exploded onto the scene when Black Panther premiered in theaters around the world. The first feature-length visit to Wakanda was much more than a Marvel Cinematic Universe blockbuster, it was a seismic cultural event that played a huge part in shifting the landscape of how Hollywood approached its biggest movies.
Not only did it enjoy incredible success at the box office, where a global haul of over $1.3 billion saw it comfortably become the highest-grossing installment in the MCU that isn’t an Avengers epic, but it still ranks as the twelfth biggest commercial hit in the history of cinema. If that wasn’t enough, it then went on to become the first superhero movie to ever be nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards, leaving behind a monumental legacy.
Production on the sequel is set to begin in July, but leading man Chadwick Boseman is tragically no longer with us having passed away last summer following a four-year battle with colon cancer. To mark the third anniversary of Black Panther‘s release, fans have been flooding social media with tributes today, and you can check some of them out below.
https://twitter.com/IAlexjay/status/1361691076004872195?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1361691076004872195%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fmovieweb.com%2Fblack-panther-3rd-anniversary-chadwick-boseman-remembered%2F
BLACK PANTHER came out today in 2018. Miss you Chadwick! XOXO
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.#BlackPanther #MCU #Marvel #OnThisDay pic.twitter.com/FrfKX5MCfS— FUZZBUG (@FUZZBUG12) February 16, 2021
Black Panther was released 3 years ago today 🎉
A monumental era for the MCU and perhaps the most important Marvel film yet
It’s gut-wrenchingly devastating that our king is no longer with us but we will continue to honour and celebrate him 💔 #BlackPanther #ChadwickBoseman pic.twitter.com/nj9x9Drq4C
— Caleb (@caleblovesfilm) February 16, 2021
R.I.P Chadwick Boseman! He will always be the best Black Panther ever! No one will replace him!
Wakanda forever! pic.twitter.com/joitA8dJNu
— Andrei Mallare 🇵🇭🗡🍄🕸👾 (@AndreiMallare2) February 16, 2021
Black Panther was released three years ago today.
Rest in power, Chadwick. pic.twitter.com/Fx18nuu1Bj
— Devon Sanders (@devonsanders) February 16, 2021
no thoughts, just how this movie changed my life and brought me closer to the stars 💜
happy three years to Black Panther, best MCU film 🖤 pic.twitter.com/mMTMNaCAJ9
— m¡ke; is ia (@BIGBENBATCH) February 16, 2021
https://twitter.com/KingmeDavey/status/1361685543667589121?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1361685543667589121%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fmovieweb.com%2Fblack-panther-3rd-anniversary-chadwick-boseman-remembered%2F
3 years of Black Panther. RIP King T'Challa, Wakanda Forever pic.twitter.com/6ih4fug5ZT
— Sanctified Lover Boy (@prozxch_) February 16, 2021
Happy 3rd. Anniversary #BlackPanther. RIP #ChadwickBoseman pic.twitter.com/9bBtTjRpRd
— Wakanda Welcomes You. (@wakandawelcomes) February 16, 2021
https://twitter.com/mevpromotions/status/1361564356018909185?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1361564356018909185%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fmovieweb.com%2Fblack-panther-3rd-anniversary-chadwick-boseman-remembered%2F
As well as the box office dollars and awards season recognition, Black Panther is also the top-rated entry in the MCU in terms of the critical consensus, as it holds a 97% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Chadwick Boseman is sadly no longer around to reprise his career-defining and iconic role as T’Challa, but his presence will loom large over the sequel and even larger over the industry as a whole thanks to the phenomenal success and lofty reputation enjoyed by Ryan Coogler’s game-changing comic book adaptation.
