Ryan Coogler and Marvel Studio's Black Panther will be hitting theaters relatively soon, a fact which has many fans buzzing. Excitement stemming in part from the fact that the film will be depicting things not common in superhero films, or huge blockbusters in general. Despite this, however, there is little to no speculation that this film would leave Earth. Yet, a recent interview with Forrest Whitaker, who will be playing Zuri in the film, seems to point to the possibility of seeing some outer space action, while heaping praise on the film and its director.
"I think people are waiting to find something new," Whitaker told Variety, discussing why he thinks the movie is already resonating with audiences. “This superhero from Africa who is in this society and trying to fix the world is something that hasn’t been seen before” Whitaker also added on to the discussion by explaining the social relevance Coogler added: "I think Ryan is a great director so there’s always going to be some social conscious inside of it."
While the above statements from Whitaker are definitely nice to hear, Whitaker reveals some intriguing new details on the film saying, "We’re going to see not only tribal things, but things that take us into outer space, things that take us into the James Bond space. It’s a really unique amalgamation of different things that come together in an exciting way." While this statement does reaffirm previous statements about the film being influenced by Bond films, the mention of outer space is something that has yet to be mentioned. Of course, this doesn't mean we'll be seeing the Black Panther himself take a journey into space, or that he meant a literal space setting, but it does raise questions about how it will play into the film if it does happen. Does Wakanda have a space program? Will there be more direct ties to Infinity War? Is it related to a post-credits scene? Well, we'll just have to wait until we see the film to see what Whitaker meant.
Either way Black Panther continues to be a film that has many people excited, something which will be furthered by the response to a screening of the movie from Whitaker and other from the cast: "The first time we saw it, just as a cast, after it, everybody leapt up to their feet — literally some were in tears, they were so excited about what was actually occurring. I think people have that same excitement around the movie. I’m expecting something great, and something great for Ryan."
Marvel Studios’ “Black Panther” follows T’Challa who, after the death of his father, the King of Wakanda, returns home to the isolated, technologically advanced African nation to succeed to the throne and take his rightful place as king. But when a powerful old enemy reappears, T’Challa’s mettle as king—and Black Panther—is tested when he is drawn into a formidable conflict that puts the fate of Wakanda and the entire world at risk. Faced with treachery and danger, the young king must rally his allies and release the full power of Black Panther to defeat his foes and secure the safety of his people and their way of life.