BLACK PANTHER - 10 Massive Reveals In The New Images From The Marvel Studios Movie
Over 20 images have been released from Black Panther and we take a look at the ten most revealing here to discover what they tell us about the movie as well as all the new plot details and characters...
With Comic-Con right around the corner, Marvel Studios is finally pulling back the curtain on Black Panther. Yesterday, a wealth of new images were released and they all reveal something new about the highly anticipated 2018 release. However, we've sifted through both those and Entertainment Weekly's report to find all the biggest and best new reveals.
From the role the villains play to unexpected character cameos, major plot details, and much, much more, this is your must-see guide to learn about everything that's on the way in Black Panther and why you should be excited for a movie which is definitely sounding like it could be the best thing Marvel had done to date. Needless to say, spoilers follow!
10. Battle At Warrior Falls
Marvel has chosen not to reveal a huge amount about Erik Killmonger's role in Black Panther but it has now been revealed that he's both a dissident and hopeful usurper to the throne. What we're seeing here is a sanctioned fight (which is why the Dora Milaje are watching impassively) at Warrior Falls, a holy place in Wakanda where it appears the victor will be named the new king.
Common sense says T'Challa will emerge victorious and that will be what leads Killmonger to seek help from Klaue in taking over the nation. What's the deal with those ritualistic tribal markings across Killmonger's chest and torso? That's something which will not be revealed until the movie is released according to executive producer Nate Moore.
9. The Other Black Panther
There's been speculation for a while now that Shuri would play a role in Black Panther and that's now been 100% confirmed. Played by Letitia Wright, she's set to take on a key role in at least one sequence which will feature her accompanying her mother (Angela Bassett) and CIA operative Everett K. Ross (Martin Freeman) on a mission into Wakanda's icy regions to visit the villainous M'Baku, the leader of the mountain tribe.
For the most part, though, Shuri will be sticking close to home as she's responsible for developing the high-tech weapons which keep Wakanda safe. Whether or not she'll one day become Black Panther as in the comic books obviously remains to be seen but she's clearly going to be an important part of T'Challa's world.
8. The Return Of Ulysses Klaue
Marvel Studios always has an eye on the future, hence why we met Ulysses Klaue for the first time all the way back in Avengers: Age of Ultron. It was him who introduced us to the concept of Vibranium, a material he'd travelled to Wakanda for, stole, and later sold to Ultron. It sounds like he'll be on the run when Black Panther starts and after being detained by the CIA, he's broken out by an unexpected ally.
That will be Killmonger, a character it's said he's in cahoots with for reasons which are currently unknown. Andy Serkis, however, has shed some light on what he believes the villain is after when we find him in this movie. "As long as he can amass fortune and cause disruption in the world at the same time, I think he’s a happy man," the actor teases.
7. Black Panther's BFF
Standing between T'Challa and Killmonger in this scene from Black Panther is Get Out star Daniel Kaluuya as W'Kabi, the new king's best friend and a fierce warrior who hails from the nation's border tribe. It's up to them to keep Wakanda safe from prying eyes and a secret from the rest of the world but can the hero's best friend - promoted to an advisory role after T'Challa takes the throne - really be trusted?
According to executive producer Nate Moore, T'Challa chooses him because he relies on "his friend's knowledge and instincts" but it certainly would make some sense to have him be revealed as being aligned with Killmonger given the Game of Thrones style goings on happening in this movie. We'll just have to wait and see but that look on his face is interesting...
6. The Dora Milaje
Black Panther may have a male lead, but in this version of Wakanda, women hold a great deal of power. The Dora Milaje have been described as a combination of Special Forces and Secret Service in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and their leader is Okoye (The Walking Dead star Danai Gurira).
Ayo (Florence Kasumba) is the king's personal guard and Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o) is an undercover operative who travels the world in a big to protect Wakanda's interests and track down its enemies. That could explain how Everett K. Ross knows so much about the nation as she likely has some ties to the CIA and will have to team up with them in order to find out what exactly Klaue is up to in the movie.
5. Wakanda's Wise Elder
One of the best casting additions to Black Panther is Oscar winner Forest Whitaker. Apparently, he's a shaman and trusted advisor of T'Chaka who stands watch at Warrior Falls and is now taking on the role of a wise elder attempting to help T'Challa as he becomes a leader and grieves for the loss of his father in Captain America: Civil War.
The movie will reportedly delve deep into some of the hero's unresolved issues from that movie and Chadwick Boseman explains how that will have an impact on how he leads. "It [explores] his mourning process, his connection to why his father was killed, and feeling like he should have been able to do something about it," Boseman teases. "All that ties into how he's going to rule."
4. Black Panther's Love Interest
Every superhero has to have a love interest and in T'Challa's case, it will be Nakia, the character played by Lupita Nyong'o. Unfortunately, it sounds like her job travelling the world to keep Wakanda safe will make life hard for the prospective couple and the fact she's a member of the Dora Milaje is probably unlikely to help matters either.
"In her journey in this film, she has to really choose between her passion for her calling and her passion for her king," the actress explains. That should make for an interesting journey for both characters and she can be seen here clad in traditional Wakandan garb. Okoye and Ayo meanwhile are wearing the scarlet-bead armour of the Dora.
3. An Unexpected Meeting
We first met CIA operative Everett K. Ross in Captain America: Civil War and it doesn't sound like he will have changed all that much since then. While it would have been easy for Marvel to make him comic relief here given Martin Freeman's expertise in that area, the actor assures fans that he's "completely, totally competent" and earns T'Challa's trust as they work together to track down the mercenary Ulysses Klaue, who has stolen some of Wakanda's most closely held secrets.
The photo above reveals a meeting between the two in a scene which clearly takes place before the villain is captured and quickly freed by Killmonger. It's also been confirmed that Ross will travel into Wakanda itself with Black Panther's mother and sister when they head off to visit M'Baku.
2. Casino Visit
One of Black Panther's key sequences will take place in a high-end underground casino in South Korea. The sequence will feature T'Challa, Nakia, and Okoye teaming up with Everett K. Ross to track down Ulysses Klaue and it sounds like we can expect this to be a standout scene in the highly anticipated movie. "That’s a very super lux high-end underground casino in South Korea where there is a great scene where Lupita, Danai, and Chad will walk in dressed to the nines," says Feige. "Klaue is there and it’s a big action scene. It's important that this all feels big, glossy, and entertaining at the same time."
Dania Gurira meanwhile sheds some light on the intel chief she plays who is defined by her loyalty to the throne. "She is a lover and protector of her people and of the throne. To protect the throne, you are protecting the core institution of the nation which allows it to thrive."
1. A Very Different Sort Of Superhero
Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige reiterates that. "Creating a character named Black Panther, who comes across in those early comics as smarter than everybody else, is shrewder than everybody else, comes from a country that is more advanced than any other country... They were doing this in the ‘60s, right in the middle of the Civil Rights movement. That’s pretty good. And we are certainly not going to shy away from that." Yeah, this is going to be good...
Which of these new Black Panther images is your favourite? As always, be sure to share your thoughts on that and more in the comments section below.