Marvel was able to make a whole lot of comic book fans into basketball fans, at least for a few hours tonight, and for good reason. The studio decided to drop the very first trailer for director Ryan Coogler’sBlack Pantherduring the NBA finals and, unlike the Cavs in this series so far, the trailer did not disappoint. We finally get an idea of what an entire movie centered on Chadwick Boseman’s King T’Challa, akaBlack Panther, is going to look like after seeing him inCaptain America: Civil Warlast year.
We’ve known for quite some time thatBlack Pantherisn’t going to be your standardMarvelStudios movie. It is going to feature a prominentlyAfrican-American cast, it is the first movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe from a black director and it is taking place in an African nation, albeit a fictional one, called Wakanda. Even taking all of that into account, along with its very different tone and setting, it is also clear thatBlack Panther, which is set to hit theaters on June 08, 2025, is still going to very much be a Marvel movie. So it looks like even those who aren’t too familiar with the character and are just more casual fans should be able toreally enjoy this movie.
Black Panthercenters on T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman), who returns home to the isolated, technologically advanced African of Wakanda to take the throne as king, following the death of his father inCaptain America: Civil War. Things get complicated when an old enemy reappears, which puts T’Challa’s position as king of Wakanda and as Black Panther in jeopardy. He is drawn into a conflict that puts his home and theentire world at risk. T’Challa is forced to call on some of his allies and fight with everything he’s got in order to save Wakanda and protect his people.
We already know that Chadwick Boseman is going to be a serious credit toBlack Panther, as well as director Ryan Coogler, but the cast that Marvel has assembled is truly impressive. Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman, Daniel Kaluuya, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, Angela Bassett, and Forest Whitaker are all signed on for the movie, which is pretty staggering. To top it off, Andy Serkis, who made his debut as Ulysses Klaw inAvengers: Age of Ultron, is also set to return as well. This movie is absolutely stacked.
At one point, something likeBlack Panther, which isvery progressive in the world of superhero movies, may have been considered a bit risky for Marvel, but not anymore. After proving that things likeAnt-Man,Guardians of the GalaxyandDoctor Strangecan work, given the strong brand recognition from the MCU, Kevin Feige and Co. now have confidence that audiences will show up for these movies. As long as they’re good, that is. It may be a bit early to say, but it seems like a pretty safe bet to assume that this won’t be Marvel’s first bomb. This is one you are definitely going to want to mark down on your calendars. Be sure to check out the first teaser trailer forBlack Pantherfor yourself below.
