The very first trailer for Captain America: Civil War gave us a look at one of Marvel’s newest heroes, Black Panther. However, we have yet to actually see T’Challa, the man behind the mask. That has finally changed, as Marvel has released a new collection of images from the upcoming superhero movie and it gives us our first look at Chadwick Boseman outside of his costume. Interestingly, it also puts him alongside the last two guys we ever thought he’d be standing with, Captain America and the Falcon.
The image, provided by Marvel, puts Steve Rogers, Sam Wilson and T’Challa side by side. One of these things is not like the other. Everything we know about T’Challa and Black Panther tells us that he and Captain America will be on opposite sides, so seeing them standing together and not trying to punch each other in the face seems strange. Wilson is certainly giving T’Challa a look that says something, it’s very possible this is a stressful moment in the film. They’re all surrounded by guards as well. This could be the film’s introduction of the new character. It could be the point at which they learn that Black Panther has been brought in to take down The Winter Soldier. That would explain why they’re not beating the hell out of each other. They just haven’t gotten to it yet.
There’s also another possibility that might be worth considering. Do these two Avengers know that the guy they’re standing with is Black Panther? Secret identities haven’t been an issue of concern within the Marvel Cinematic Universe to date, but they’ve been a major part of comic book history since the advent of superhero comics. They were also a big part of the original Civil War storyline in the comics. Just because nobody else has been shielding their identity up to this point doesn’t mean that nobody will. Maybe Black Panther will use his non-masked identity to get close to Cap and Falcon, and in doing so, get an edge on Bucky Barnes. How’s that for rampant speculation?
Captain America: Civil War will introduce Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther. From here, he’ll go on to headline his own movie which is set to be directed by Creed’s Ryan Coogler. The solo film is set for release in early 2018. At this point, we don’t really know how well we’ll get to know Black Panther in Civil War, though he’s certainly being set up to be a significant part of the MCU as a whole.
What do you think of the first look at the man behind the Black Panther mask?
