Black Panther (2008) (Exclusive Series) (Disney Plus)

Initial release date: February 16, 2018

Studios: Walt Disney Pictures/Marvel Studios

Tagline: Long live the king

Hero. Legend. King

Plot: After the death of his father, T'Challa returns home to the African nation of Wakanda to take his rightful place as King. When a powerful enemy suddenly reappears, T'Challa's mettle as King - and as Black Panther - gets tested when he's drawn into a 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 defect his foes and secure the safety of his people.

Cast

Chadwick Boseman - T'Challa/Black Panther

Michael B. Jordan - Erik Killmonger

Lupita Nyong'o - Nakia

Danai Gurira - Okoye

Martin Freeman - Everett K. Ross

Daniel Kaluuya - W'Kabi

Letitia Wright - Shuri

Winston Duke - M'Baku

Sterling K. Brown - N'Jobu

Angela Bassett - Ramada

Forest Whitaker - Zuri

Andy Serkis - Ulysses Klaue

Writer(s): Ryan Coogler (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever; Creed; Fruitvale Station)

Joe Robert Cole (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever)

Director: Ryan Coogler (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever; Creed)

Rated PG-13 for prolonged sequences of action violence, and a brief rude gesture (134 minutes)

With 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' opening in theaters and at the Dietrich this weekend, I figured it was time to take another look at the 2018 movie 'Black Panther.' I initially reviewed this movie for the Examiner when it came out a few years ago and wanted another fresh look this time around.

'Black Panther' is definitely one of the best movies that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has offered. The action sequences are really incredible and the visual effects are outstanding. Even though the character was first introduced to the MCU in 'Captain America: Civil War,' this movie showed us the best look possible for the T'Challa/Black Panther character. It showed us a man who is a new King and still reeling for the untimely death of his father. Boseman did an amazing job portraying the Black Panther in the few films that he appeared in for the MCU prior to his death in 2020 (Captain America Civil War; Black Panther; Infinity War; Endgame).

In the movie, you get to see how Wakanda shields itself from the world to protect itself and the Wakandan people. There are quite a few stand out moments that are extremely entertaining. One sequence comes to mind - the car chase sequence that takes place in South Korea.

This is one of the better installments of the ever-growing MCU and there is plenty of excitement from beginning to end. And, hopefully, the MCU becomes more exciting since 'Love and Thunder' and 'Multiverse of Madness' were just okay and needed a little bit of work.

You can stream 'Black Panther' on Disney Plus and rent it on various rental platforms. Also, make sure to catch 'Wakanda Forever' at the Dietrich!!

Here are some interesting tidbits for 2018s 'Black Panther':

• Coogler compared the Wakandan vibranium mines to the real-life situation of the Congo mines, where the valuable mineral coltan (used in manufacturing digital products, found only in the Congo region) is being mined.

• The Dora Milaje translates to The Adored Ones, a group of female soldiers who protect Wakanda. In the comics, each of the tribes sends their most powerful female fighters to join the Dora Milaje guard.

• Michael B. Jordan was allowed to keep his Panther costume.

• The Black Panther was created in July 1966, two months before the founding of the Black Panther Party. Many people mistakenly assumed the name referred to the Party, so the character was renamed the Black Leopard. However, neither the readers nor the creators cared for that title, and it didn't last long. However, the Black Leopard name gets a nod from T'Challa's battle paint at his inauguration fight.

• The fighting in this film is based on African martial arts. The filmmakers also cited the action scenes in 'Creed' and the 'Kingsman' films as an influence on the style.

• Despite being released after 'Civil War' (which marked Black Panther's MCU debut), the events of this film take place a week after the events of that film.

• Director Ryan Coogler described the character of Zubi as the Wakandan Obi-Wan Kenobi.

• On August 30, 2020 ABC showed the film commercial free along with a tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman's life and legacy.

• In May 2018, it was one of three Marvel superhero movies in theaters at the same time: 'Black Panther,' 'Deadpool 2' and 'Avengers: Infinity War.'

• Coogler wanted the film to feature the super-villain Kraven the Hunter, who has been a rival of the Panther. However, the character is primarily a Spider-Man enemy and Sony holds the rights to Spider-Man, and so they refuse permission. Ironically, Sony used to own the rights to Black Panther himself, before selling him back to Marvel in 2005.

• In June 1992, Wesley Snipes announced his intention to make a film about Black Panther, and began work on it by that August. Snipes felt that Africa had been portrayed poorly in Hollywood films previously, and that this film could highlight being noble and "the antithesis of African stereotypes."

• In January 1994, Snipes entered talks with Sony-Columbia to portray Black Panther, and Black Panther co-creator Stan Lee joined the film by that March, When the film hadn't progressed by January 1996, Lee explained that he hadn't been pleased with the scripts for the project.

• In September 2005, Marvel chairman and CEO Avi Arad announced that 'Black Panther' was one of the ten films being developed by the then-new Marvel Studios. Marvel Studios received financing to produce the slate of ten films to be distributed by Paramount. Development didn't get a start until 2014.

• 'Black Panther' grossed $700.1 million domestic, and $646.9 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $1.347 billion. It became the highest grossing solo superhero film, the third highest grossing film of the MCU and superhero film overall, the ninth highest grossing film of all time and the highest grossing film by an African-American director.

• A sequel, 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,' is scheduled to be released November 11, 2022. In August 2020, Boseman died from colon cancer, surprising Coogler, Feige, and other Marvel executives, who had been unaware of Boseman's illness.

• In February 2021, a series set in Wakanda was revealed to be in development from Coogler for Disney Plus, as part of the larger overall deal between Coogler's production company Proximity Media and Walt Disney Television.

https://youtu.be/xjDjIWPwcPU