With Infinity War looming closer by the day, Marvel buts that aside to take us to the beautiful kingdom of Wakanda to tell the story of T'Challa's coronation following the events of Civil War. A perfect insight to those not familiar with the character, and a refreshing new take on the story for those rooted in the comics, Black Panther has Marvel fans everywhere feeling great.
Firstly, I need to thank Hannah, one of my girlfriend's roommates. She paid for our tickets for the Friday night show, and it was perfect. Secondly, I must commend Cinemark, because their souvenir Black Panther cups are really, really rad.
There wasn't a lot to be disappointed about in this movie. It was a refreshingly "serious" movie compared to is predecessors Thor: Ragnarok and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. II and that is exactly what this franchise needed. You can't expect that Infinity War is going to be at all like any of the previous Marvel movies. The tone of this movie acts as a great transition to what I expect to be a super heavy and intense story. Besides, this is the story of T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman) becoming king, so there isn't much reason to make this another action comedy. Also, in the context of the movie, the politics of Wakanda and its place in the world is critical to set up what the world will look like and how it will react to Thanos. We can tell that Thanos is ready for a fight from the Infinity War trailers, and with the added knowledge that Wakanda will be sharing its resources and knowledge of vibranium technology, it raises the question of how much harder Thanos will have to work to get what he wants out of Earth. Think of all the possibilities: Ant-Man being able to triple his strength with energy absorption, Wakandan first responders for the UN, and an Iron Man suit, Spider-Man webs, Hawkeye arrows, and Bucky's new arm, all made of vibranium. Not the best examples, but you get the idea.
I think the only things that really bugged me about this movie weren't necessarily bad, but maybe just little nit-picky things. I will say that I really do wish that Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis) and Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) didn't die. Klaue's character was just starting to pick up steam and probably could have played a lovely counter role in Infinity War as someone who could align with Thanos to get him prepared for all the new vibranium knowledge. It would add that extra layer to Thanos' threatening role. Another way Klaue could have been saved is by making him the head of the "third team" in the Infinity War. He has prominent mob and gang connections, which with the proper tools, could make the war more complex. However, I am much more comfortable with Klaue being out of the picture than Killmonger. Arguably, he is the MCU's most charismatic and compelling villains to date. It seemed very unusual to me that T'Challa let him die when in Civil War, he prevented Helmut Zemo from a similar situation to face prosecution. I would have loved to see Killmonger as an ally in Infinity War, even if it means there are some conditions around such an alliance. Killmonger as a prisoner and criminal in Wakanda would make a great constant antagonist for the young king, a constant reminder of why the decision to open up Wakanda to the rest of the world was made. I feel like Killmonger had much more to offer the MCU as a potential antihero or full on villain.
Also, one more thing that I feel like was missing in Black Panther was any mention or hinting at the location of the last Infinity Stone. We have seen every stone in the movies, except one: the Soul Stone. With 3 months until Infinity War, it's all up to speculation as to where that stone is. According to an article by Adam Holmes of CinemaBlend, some of the more popular theories include:
I think the only things that really bugged me about this movie weren't necessarily bad, but maybe just little nit-picky things. I will say that I really do wish that Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis) and Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) didn't die. Klaue's character was just starting to pick up steam and probably could have played a lovely counter role in Infinity War as someone who could align with Thanos to get him prepared for all the new vibranium knowledge. It would add that extra layer to Thanos' threatening role. Another way Klaue could have been saved is by making him the head of the "third team" in the Infinity War. He has prominent mob and gang connections, which with the proper tools, could make the war more complex. However, I am much more comfortable with Klaue being out of the picture than Killmonger. Arguably, he is the MCU's most charismatic and compelling villains to date. It seemed very unusual to me that T'Challa let him die when in Civil War, he prevented Helmut Zemo from a similar situation to face prosecution. I would have loved to see Killmonger as an ally in Infinity War, even if it means there are some conditions around such an alliance. Killmonger as a prisoner and criminal in Wakanda would make a great constant antagonist for the young king, a constant reminder of why the decision to open up Wakanda to the rest of the world was made. I feel like Killmonger had much more to offer the MCU as a potential antihero or full on villain.
Also, one more thing that I feel like was missing in Black Panther was any mention or hinting at the location of the last Infinity Stone. We have seen every stone in the movies, except one: the Soul Stone. With 3 months until Infinity War, it's all up to speculation as to where that stone is. According to an article by Adam Holmes of CinemaBlend, some of the more popular theories include:
- Heimdall has it, and it is why he can see across the Nine Realms. This is my least favorite theory, because if Heimdall knew Thor was going out to look for Infinity Stones, why wouldn't he tell Thor about one of his own? Regardless, it could be possible, but I don't see this one going through.
- It is hidden somewhere in a different reality, like the Quantum Realm or the Dark Dimension. I feel like this would be cheating of Marvel went with this idea, because there isn't really a point to it. If Thanos had the ability to, for example, entrust the Soul Stone to Dormammu, then what's is stopping him from getting all the stones hidden in different realities? Maybe I'm just bitter, but I really don't want this to be the case.
- Thanos already has it. He was willing to give up the Mind Stone to Loki so you could argue that maybe he has the Soul Stone lying around as well, and doesn't mind loaning another stone away given he won't be without an Infinity Stone.
- It is in Wakanda. Think about how vibranium got to Earth? What if Thanos sent the stone there protected by vibranium? Furthermore, what if that vibranium asteroid was, in fact, the Soul Stone? That last one might be farfetched, but I digress. Also, think about what we know about the Soul Stone from the comics? It can capture souls. What if the ancestral realm exists because of the Soul Stone? It would help answer why only the former Black Panthers were there. You could argue that the heart-shaped herb is related to the Soul Stone, and that's why Panthers who have passed move into this ancestral realm. It would make more sense as to why Thanos is sending his army to take on Wakanda in the Infinity War trailers.
I like the Wakanda theory a lot, and I think with that mindset, Black Panther just got that much better. Of course, the only way to know for sure is to wait until Infinity War hits the screens. Until then, I highly suggest you drop everything at go see Black Panther for an amazing experience like Marvel has never given us before!
Have a wonderful day, and always remember... WAKANDA FOREVER!
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