Ryan Coogler's Black Panther has become a sensation. The eighteenth Marvel Cinematic Universe film has turned into a massive hit with critics, and its insane box office performance pretty much speaks for itself. That said, there's another layer to the sensation that's worth addressing: its cultural impact. With that in mind, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon brought a group of fans into the studio to send messages to Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman, and the rising Marvel actor made all of their days by bursting through the curtain and surprising each of them. Check it out, below.
If that doesn't warm your heart, then you might be as cold as Michael B. Jordan's Erik Killmonger. The whole thing was set up like a fun ambush on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. The crew brought fans of the movie to a secluded area surrounded by curtains, with the fans utterly unaware of the fact that Chadwick Boseman was hiding nearby watching them deliver messages to him about their experiences watching the film (one guy even bootlegged it) and its overarching cultural significance. At the end of the message, Boseman would pop out from behind the curtain to surprise the fans, and the encounters pretty much all ended in a warm and excited embrace.
Of course, this Black Panther-specific video is just the latest in a long line of examples of how Marvel Cinematic Universe actors have interacted with their fans over the years and created relationships with the audience. Whether it's Chris Pratt and Chris Evans visiting sick kids in hospitals, or Iron Man's Robert Downey Jr. delivering a bionic arm to a young boy under the guise of Tony Stark, many of the actors involved in the MCU seem to have an acute understanding of their cultural significance. Now, with Black Panther officially in theaters, it looks like Chadwick Boseman has taken his place among those ranks, as well.
It also seems reasonable to assume that T'Challa's significance will only become more prominent and pronounced in the coming years. We seem poised for a shift in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers 4, and Black Panther (along with heroes like Tom Holland's Spider-Man and Brie Larson's Captain Marvel) seems like one of the personalities who will define the MCU when mainstays like Iron Man and Captain America finally hang up their suits for good.
If you have yet to see Ryan Coogler's Black Panther, be sure to take a glance at CinemaBlend's comprehensive review of the movie, and then head to your nearest theater to check it out for yourself. Also, if you need more T'Challa in your life, then make sure to watch out for his next foray in the MCU when Avengers: Infinity War premieres in theaters on May 4, 2018!
