With just a little over three weeks to go before Marvel's Black Panther arrives in theaters on February 16, 2018, the embargo on set-visit reports has lifted and with it comes a boatload of studio-approved details that Marvel is comfortable with fans knowing before sitting down in their theater seats.
Will there be a flashback to T'Challa's childhood? Does the King of Wakanda still select his bride from among the Dora Milaje? How much humor will be in the film? Continue reading for the answers to these questions and much more.
Also,the embargo on social media reactions for advance screenings lifts on January 30 at 10 pm PST/ 1 am EST and the embargo on full reviews lifts on February 6 at 9 am PST/ 12 pm EST. Also, note that the film will be released in the UK a full week early on February 9, so be wary of spoilers.
THE FILM WILL EXPLORE T'CHALLA'S LIFE BEFORE THE EVENTS OF CIVIL WAR
Some screen time will be dedicated to showing T’Challa’s life before becoming the Black Panther. Just how far back these scenes will go remain unconfirmed but it's likely director Ryan Coogler will give fans a glimpse of the extensive training and education T'Challa received growing up in the most advanced country in the world.
Are he and Michael B. Jordan's Killmonger childhood friends? Will we get a glimpse of who wore the Black Panther armor while T'Challa was still a child? There's a ton of opportunity for Coogler to explore here.
CHOOSE: BLACK PANTHER OR KING
It seems there are many different factions in Wakanda that all have different agendas. However, one thing they all have in common is that they differ on what they think is best for T'Challa. Some want him to only be the Black Panther and let someone else rule while others believe that he should pass the mantle of Black Panther to someone else and rule Wakanda full-time.
That will be the driving internal conflict for Chadwick Boseman's character as he searches for the right answers to appease his people and provide strong leadership. It seems he's also unsure whether he's ready to assume the throne. No one in Wakanda saw T'Chaka assassination coming and T'Challa certainly had other plans for his life at this point other than assuming his birthright.
A MODERNIZED DORA MILAJE
Unlike the comics, the Dora Milaje are not an assembly of potential brides for the King of Wakanda. They're strictly the ruler's bodyguards and nothing more- however, there will be romance for T'Challa in the film. Though actors and producers remained mum, the obvious candidate for T'Challa would be Lupita Nyong’o Nakia. Then again, there have been a lot of scenes featuring the would-be King of Wakanda and Danai Gurira's Okoye.
HOW MUCH HUMOR WILL BE IN THE FILM?
The comedy in the film is more in keeping with the last two Captain America installments (Winter Soldier and Civil War) than say Ant-Man or Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2. That said, the film's cast and producers assured that the film will have tons of laughs and feel-good moments in spite of the lack of overt humor attempts.
WHO NEEDS REED RICHARDS...
Shuri is 16-years-old in the film and head the Wakanda Design Group. She's the smartest person in the world, smarter than Tony Stark. Typically, the only person in Marvel's that undeniably smarter than Tony Stark is Reed Richards. One has to wonder if Marvel would have gone with this same angle for Shuri if the Disney-Fox merger would have been further along before filming commenced.
TECHNOLOGY vs SPIRITUALITY
Black Panther's Heart-shaped herb and Panther Gods will play a role in the film and serve as juxtaposition against the technological advancements in Wakanda. It' s probably a good time to polish up those Soul Stone fan theories as there's still one more Infinity Gem to uncover before Thanos arrives in Avengers: Infinity War.
GORILLA CITY
M'Baku, played by Winston Duke, won't go by Man-Ape, the name of his comic book counterpart. M'Baku will serve as the leader of the Jabari people (who live in a mountainous snow region of Wakanda), a religious minority in Wakanda who believes the covert nation has begun to rely too much on technology and have forgotten the ways of its ancestors. Though he doesn't go by Man-Ape, he does rule Gorilla City, a region of Jabari.
THE ROLES AND USES FOR VIBRANIUM GET WILDLY EXPANDED
Black Panther will introduce several different types and uses for vibranium, from the steel alloy in Cap's shield to the fiber weave in Black Panther's costumes and much more. A lot of Wakanda's technological advancements are powered by vibranium and it sounds as if by the end of the film, a lot of Wakanda's secrets may get exposed to the larger public. If and when the X-Men finally make their MCU debut, it would be fairly interesting to see how they take down a Sentinel made out of the world's most indestructible metal.