Black Panther (2018)

  And the Marvel movie onslaught for 2018 begins!

After the death of his father, Prince T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman) returns to his home country of Wakanda to be crowned king and rightfully assume the mantle of the Black Panther after defeating a rival claimant from the Jubari tribe, M'baku (Winston Duke).  But the crown is a heavier weight to bear than he was truly prepared for, especially with the psychotic Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis) selling stolen vibranium around the world.  T'Challa and his ex, Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o), travel to South Korea to stop one potential sale to American CIA agent Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) and take Klaue into custody, only to have him escape with the help of Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan).  Killmonger has his own agenda to pursue, however, affecting not just the future of Wakanda but of the entire world.

Ostensibly, this is a superhero movie based on a comic book done by the same company that have produced literally over a dozen similar films.  In reality, this is so much more than just a superhero film.  This was Marvel's chance to substantially increase their diversity, to showcase some incredible black performers, musicians, writers, and director, and to prove (yet again) that audiences will pay to see representations of black people on film.  Nick Fury has been a mentor type, always in the background.  Luke Cage and Black Lightning are small screen.  For a lot of fans, this was the first major studio-backed black superhero since Wesley Snipes in Blade in 1998.  Literally 20 years.  An entire generation of people were born and can legally vote in the time it took to get another black superhero.

I had to sit there and think about that for a minute.  Mostly because I can't believe it's been 20 years since Blade came out.  Sweet Jesus, I am old.

Anyway, yes.  Huge expectations for this film.  And it is worth it.  If you are a Marvel fan, this is another stellar entry in the canon.  If you are African American, I can't begin to imagine what this is for you.  Yes, there is a mid-credits sequence and a post-credits sequence that sets up Avengers:  Infinity War.  No, girl-who-sat-next-to-me-in-the-theater, that is not Jesus in the post-credits sequence.  That is **SPOILERS** Bucky Barnes, the Winter Soldier, and it is huge that he is just hanging out meditating and shit in Wakanda.  Huge.  **END SPOILERS**  If this movie is any indication, 2018 is going to be an amazing year for film.