Captain America: Civil War saw the debuts of two new heroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man and Black Panther. While it was great to see Spider-Man finally return home and mix it up with other Marvel characters, Black Panther was the one who arguably stole the show. Since then fans have been eager to see more of the badass character, and they won't have to wait much longer. Chadwick Boseman returns to the role in next month's Black Panther, and this time he will be front and center, back in his homeland, and with a crown on his head. Director, Ryan Coogler recently spoke about how the character has changed since Civil War and what we can expect from him in Black Panther, saying:
In Civil War, he was outside of Wakanda. He was in a place that he didn't want to be and his father gets killed. The whole film, he's on a mission. He's a man on a mission. He's tortured; he's of few words. I think that that was something that made him appealing in that film. In this film, it's the same guy, but you're seeing all of the layers pulled back. The film's from his perspective and he's surrounded by people who he loves and cares for. It's just a much more personal perspective on him. You see him go through the journey of taking on the greatest responsibility that a person can have, the responsibility of leading a country. You see him go through the full weight of that in the film.
As Ryan Coogler explained to Fandango, Captain America: Civil War introduced us to T'Challa when he was out of his element and on a vengeance mission, following a personal tragedy. As such, we didn't get to really know the character. Peeling back his layers and getting a closer look at his world is so appealing about Black Panther for Marvel fans. Although this highly anticipated film probably won't be a strict origin story in the traditional sense, it will still give us insight into the character and begin his time as king.
It should be especially fascinating to explore Wakanda, and see where this character comes from. Although back home, T'Challa will still be in an uncomfortable situation, assuming the throne long before he expected to. He's likely grieving the death of his father as well, although leading a country leaves no time for mourning; T'Challa must assume his birthright whether he is ready or not. Heavy is the head that wears the crown, and with a threat to the throne and precious secrets to protect, it will be very exciting to see how Black Panther handles his myriad responsibilities.
We have never really seen a dynamic and plot like this in the MCU. Altough Captain America had to make a group of individuals a team and while Thor is technically now the leader of what's left of Asgard, the weight of leadership hasn't really been explored in the shared universe. If Black Panther really delves into the overwhelming responsibility of being the leader of a country (and a superhero), it could really stand out as something different in the Marvel Universe.
I don't know if it's the amazing cast, how cool Wakanda looks, or just knowing that Black Panther is a badass, but I have a feeling that Black Panther is going to be something really special. Black Panther is one of the biggest films of the year and it finally arrives in theaters on February 16th.
