Rocio Mateos
On Friday, after literally years of waiting, we finally saw glimpses of the highly anticipated ‘Black Panther’ movie. And boy, they are intense.
On early morning, the teaser poster for the upcoming Marvel movie starring Chadwick Boseman was unveiled. Displaying him as King T’Challa, sitting on the imposing Wakandan throne with a penetrating look in his eyes.
The official synopsis has also been revealed:
“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”
But the greatest release was made on Friday night, during the Warriors-Cavaliers Game 4 of the NBA Finals: the first teaser trailer. Check it out below:
The trailer has us intrigued with the landscapes of Wakanda
The first shot of the trailer shows Martin Freeman in the role of Everett K. Ross and Andy Serkis as Ulysses Klaue. The two characters are discussing how little the world actually knows about Wakanda.
A captured Klaue asks Ross what does he know about the mysterious country. “It’s a third world country,” Ross replies. “Textiles, shepherds, and cool outfits,” he adds. Klaue laughs, knowing that this conception is a front hiding the fact that no one – except Klaue – has ever made it out of Wakanda alive. So he’s the only one who can tell how it looks like.
“Explorers have searched for it; called it El Dorado,” Klaue explains. “They looked for it in South America, but it was in Africa the whole time.” From there, Run The Jewels’ ‘Legend Has It’ begins playing in the background. And the trailer shows some of ‘Black Panther’s larger plot elements, but without revealing too much.
What we know is that Wakanda is a rich country that has managed to stay undercover for years. But suddenly the world is becoming aware of how rich it is.
Don’t be fooled by the scenes at the Warrior Falls and the Wakanda tribal-based themes. We’re talking about the most technologically advanced country in the Marvel universe. This is shown in shots of the futuristic skyline of the country as T’Challa’s aircraft flies over. It is a total techno-utopia that balances unimaginable technology and traditional culture.
Meeting King T’Challa’s friends and foes
Black Panther is one of Marvel’s more enigmatic characters, but he is, without a doubt, the most popular black superhero ever. After the death of his father King T’Chaka – killed in ‘Captain America: Civil War’ –, T’Challa has become Wakanda’s ruler. And of course, he is backed by a butt-kicking black cast.
“But the first characters I saw in the trailer are white,” you may think. That’s because Ross and Klaue play major roles in the story. Ross was first introduced onscreen in a minor role in last year’s ‘Captain America,’ but he is now a T’Challa’s American ally. Klaue, on the other side, appeared in ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron.’ And he is a Black Panther villain who’s been trying to steal Vibranium, w the material from which Black Panther’s suit is made out of.
Following the saying “the enemy of my enemy is my friend,” we get to meet Erik Killmonger. Portrayed by Michael B. Jordan, Killmonger wants to stage an insurrection against the royal family. He sees in Klaue an ally, so he helps him break out from the safe house he was being held by Ross in the opening scene.
Afterward, we’re introduced to the Dora Milaje, the badass all-female special forces unit that serves as personal bodyguards of King T’Challa. We first met Ayo, played by Florence Kasumba, in ‘Civil War.’ But now, the film adds two A-listers: Lupita Nyong’o as Nakia and Danai Gurira as Dora Milaje leader Okoye. You may have noticed them, as they actually stole the whole damn show by appearing in almost every single shot of the trailer. I’m not even mad. You go, girls!
Directed by Ryan Coogler, the film also features Daniel Kaluuya, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker and Andy Serkis. The epic movie hits theaters February 16, 2018.
