Marvel's Kevin Feige Explains Why A 'Black Panther' Movie Took So Long

This year marks the tenth anniversary of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but films featuring the Avengers have been around for decades. The world of live-action comic book movies was not always a pretty one, but fans have long wondered why it has taken until now for Black Panther to suit up in one. However, if you ask Kevin Feige about the delay, he will tell you he's just as confused as you are.

Recently, the president of Marvel Studios sat down with Variety to talk all things Black Panther. Feige was asked why it has taken so long for the hero to get his own movie, and the executive producer admitted he wasn't sure.

"I don't know," Feige said. "This is the 10-year anniversary of Marvel Studios, starting with Iron Man. I'll speak starting in 2008. For us, we were building the Avengers. That took up the first five years. And as audiences continued to come, we got to tell more of these stories and we got to a point where we were developing Captain America: Civil War."

Continuing, Feige revealed why Black Panther came into the MCU's scope when he did.

"We had an opportunity to introduce a character that had no allegiance to either Iron Man or Captain America and that clearly was Black Panther, who has his own agenda, agency, country, and culture. And he found himself thrust into the world of the Avengers. That became, for us, lighting the wick on the beginning of bringing Panther to the world and casting Chadwick and soon after that, hiring Ryan Coogler," the producer said.

Feige may not know why Black Panther hasn't gotten a movie until now, but he is glad the hero's debut is with Ryan Coogler. The producer said he's glad a live-action adaptation wasn't made in 1992 because the director "might not have been born yet."

Of course, there had been talk of a live-action Black Panther film a couple decades back. Wesley Snipes rallied hard for the Marvel superhero to get his own film back in the 1990s, and the actor opened up about the scrapped project not long ago. Snipes told The Hollywood Reporter that he wanted to bring the progressive series to the big screen, but plans for the film fell apart since its creative team never fit just right.

Directed by Ryan Coogler, Black Panther stars Chadwick Boseman, Danai Gurira, Lupita Nyong'o, Michael B. Jordan, Letitia Wright, Daniel Kaluuya, Winston Duke, Martin Freeman, Angela Bassett, Andy Serkis, and Forest Whitaker.

Black Panther hits theaters on February 16. Will you be seeing it? Hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to let me know and talk all things comics, k-pop, and anime!