Chadwick Boseman's Black Panther did not enter the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the typical way. While most major comic book heroes debut on the big screen in their very own origin story, the king/protector of Wakanda instead had his first ever live action appearance in Captain America: Civil War. It essentially resulted in audiences getting a quick taste before a giant meal -- but as Boseman explained to us last year on the Black Panther set, it also gave him a chance to start looking at the character differently in some respects. Said the actor,
Some of the things that we came to an understanding of we couldn't show in the last one so it gives it a chance to marinate. And those certain things that we were unsure about now we're 100 percent sure about. Like even down to accent and how you walk or what his sense of humor is, which actually develops more in this movie because in the last movie he was pretty focused on what he had to do so there was no time to make any jokes. But in this one you're sort of seeing him around in his more natural environment and around people that he knows. So you are different according to the people you are around.
It was around this time last year that I joined a group of other film journalists to fly out to Atlanta, Georgia and visit the set of Black Panther -- and it was during that trip that we had the chance to talk with Chadwick Boseman about his major Marvel Cinematic Universe character. The actor was asked how details of the role may have changed going from Captain America: Civil War to the solo film, and he responded explaining that making the newer feature allowed him to firm up certain key aspects of the part, including the Wakandan accent, his personal sense of humor, and basically what he's like when he's not in regal or warrior mode.
Given the tone presented in the Black Panther footage we've seen thus far, it's particularly interesting to hear about the sense of humor that is being brought to the project. On the set, we were told that the tone of the movie is closer to Captain America: The Winter Soldier than, say, Ant-Man, suggesting that the film won't be so much about making you giggle as it will be about making your jaw drop. That's a nice change-up for the franchise, particularly after 2017's three straight comedies (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Spider-Man: Homecoming, and Thor: Ragnarok), but it's also nice to know that the latest blockbuster won't be taking itself too seriously 100 percent of the time.
Looking at the other half of Chadwick Boseman's quote, it's also certainly exciting to see how Ryan Coogler's vision of Wakanda winds up influencing and changing the character movie-going audiences first met in Captain America: Civil War. Writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely obviously established the character before fully knowing exactly what Coogler would be doing with his vision of the country, but soon we will see what kind of influence the remarkable African nation has on the protagonist -- from the members of his immediate family, to his royal subjects, to the various atmospheres and environments. People tend to act differently when they are at home versus abroad, so it's totally understandable that we will get to see alternate shades of personality from the hero.
After what feels like an interminable wait, Black Panther is finally hitting screens in just a few weeks, set to arrive in theaters on February 16th. The film is one of our most anticipated of the year, so stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for more updates, but also stay tuned for a whole lot more from our visit to the set!
