Bashenga was a warrior shaman who united four of the five warring tribes of Wakanda, becoming the first King of Wakanda and the inaugural Black Panther. Black Panther is a 2018 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is the 18th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Directed by Ryan Coogler, who co-wrote the screenplay with Joe Robert Cole, the film stars Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa/Black Panther, alongside a talented cast that includes Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman, Daniel Kaluuya, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker, and Andy Serkis.
In Black Panther, T’Challa ascends to the throne of Wakanda following his father’s death, but faces a challenge from Killmonger, who seeks to overturn the country’s isolationist policies and ignite a global revolution.
Wesley Snipes had initially shown interest in a Black Panther film in 1992, but it never materialized. In September 2005, Marvel Studios announced plans for a Black Panther film as part of a slate of ten Marvel character adaptations, which would be distributed by Paramount Pictures. Mark Bailey was brought on board to write a script in January 2011. The film was officially confirmed in October 2014, and Boseman made his first appearance as the character in Captain America: Civil War (2016). By that time, Cole and Coogler had joined the project, and additional casting in May established Black Panther as the first Marvel film with a predominantly Black cast. Principal photography occurred from January to April 2017 at EUE/Screen Gems Studios in Atlanta and in Busan, South Korea.
Black Panther premiered in Los Angeles on January 29, 2018, and was released in theaters in the United States on February 16, as part of Phase Three of the MCU. The film received widespread critical acclaim, with praise directed at its direction, screenplay, and performances—especially those of Boseman, Jordan, and Wright—as well as its costume design, production values, and soundtrack, although some criticized the CGI effects. Many critics regarded it as one of the best films within the MCU, highlighting its cultural impact. Organizations such as the National Board of Review and the American Film Institute named it one of the top 10 films of 2018. The film grossed over $1.3 billion globally and shattered numerous box office records, becoming the highest-grossing film by a Black director. It ranks as the ninth-highest-grossing film of all time and the third-highest-grossing film in the U.S. and Canada, as well as the second-highest-grossing film of 2018.
Black Panther garnered multiple awards and nominations, including seven nominations at the 91st Academy Awards, where it won for Best Costume Design, Best Original Score, and Best Production Design, making it the first superhero film to receive a Best Picture nomination and the first MCU film to win an Academy Award. It also secured three nominations at the 76th Golden Globe Awards, two wins at the 25th Screen Actors Guild Awards, and three wins at the 24th Critics’ Choice Awards among a total of twelve nominations. A sequel, with Coogler returning to write and direct, is slated for release in May 2022.
