Everything We Know and Love About 'Black Panther' After Watching the Trailer

The official "Black Panther" trailer has dropped, and we're all very excited.

Damola Durosomo
June 12, 2017

DIASPORA—In case you haven't heard, the official trailer for Marvel's upcoming Black Panther moviedropped during game 4 of the NBA finals, and it's everything we needed and more.

The two minute clip gives us an exciting glimpse into the fictional world of Wakanda, where T'Challa, played by Chadwick Boseman, is ruler. His character was first introduced last year in Captain America: Civil War, after his father was assassinated, making him king of the isolated "African" nation.

Little is known about Wakanda, and while outsiders believe it to be a third world country, it is actually a flourishing, technologically advanced metropolis, where everyone appears to be insanely fierce and fashionable.

Here's the trailer for the film, directed by Ryan Coolgler:

As you can see, the film is jam packed with black and badass characters like Lupita Nyong'owho plays Nakia, Black Panther's love interest and potential adversary. Danai Gurira as Okoye, the leader of an elite group of women warriors. Daniel Kaluuya as W'Kabi, Black Panther's right hand man and Angela Basset as his mother, Ramonda. Michael B. Jordan as Killmonger—another warrior rival, and Forrest Whitaker as the wise elder, Zuri.

It appears that the main villain will be Black Panther's nemesis Ulysses Klaue, who's looking to exploit Wakanda's wealth, but a synopsis reveals that his rule will also be challenged by "factions within his own country."

What's made clear from the trailer are the film's references to historical African figures, its portrayal of black characters with agency, and its use of afrofuturism to challenge the "underdeveloped African nation," film trope.

It's the type of superhero movie that we are yet to see, and we, along with our friends on the internet, are rightfully excited about its upcoming release. Reactions to the trailer have been celebratory to say the least.

Fans have also pointed out the abundance of black, female lead characters.

Black Panther will hit theaters on February 9 in the UK and on February 16 in the U.S., but it really can't come soon enough.

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