While all eyes seem fixated on Steve Rogers and Tony Stark in the upcoming Captain America: Civil War, we cannot forget the new additions to the Marvel Cinematic Universe who will soon arrive as well. One of the most intriguing new additions to the MCU in Civil War is Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa a.k.a Black Panther. As the first ever silver screen incarnation the Wakandan, it’s a landmark moment for a character considered to be the first black superhero. Although his first solo film won’t hit theaters until 2018, that didn’t stop director Ryan Coogler from leaving his mark on the Black Panther we will see in Civil War.
During a recent interview with io9, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige admitted that Ryan Coogler had the opportunity to contribute to the Civil War creative process. He said:
Ryan came in and watched the movie. We did a little bit of additional photography here and there and Ryan did a pass at a couple of those scenes. So there’s a line or two that Panther says in the movie that Ryan contributed to. [Civil War screenwriters] Chris [Markus] and Steve [McFeely] absorbed it into their draft, put their spin on it and words to it, but Ryan has started to be involved in earlier cuts of this movie.
Although Captain America: Civil War very much remains a product of the Russo brothers as well as screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, Ryan Coogler found himself able to add some minor contributions to the character of Black Panther. It seems like Markus and McFeely responded well to his contributions, because they eventually "absorbed" his ideas and implemented them into the film – albeit with their own take on them.
It’s worth noting that Ryan Coogler’s contribution – however minor – to Civil War will go a long way towards establishing T’Challa with mainstream audiences. While Marvel has already done a phenomenal job of making the MCU films feel fairly cohesive, Ryan Coogler’s freshman effort on the first solo Black Panther film will feel even more familiar to fans because the director will have already had a hand in an earlier on-screen incarnation of the character. That may seem like a minor detail, but it’s one that will allow Black Panther to hit the ground running in his 2018 adventure.
All that being said, it also probably helped that Ryan Coogler has proven that he isn’t exactly a hack. Over the last few years, he has proven himself as an incredibly reliable filmmaker and screenwriter. Between Fruitvale Station, and last year’s Creed, Coogler has established that he has a firm grasp on the type of voice required for the first black superhero. Black Panther director or not, referring to him probably seemed like a no-brainer.
We will just have to wait and see what sort of effect Ryan Coogler's contributions to Black Panther have on audiences when Captain America: Civil War comes out. The film will hit theaters on May 6; be sure to stay tuned for more details!
