Breaking Down The Black Panther Trailer

Klaueless

The trailer kicks off showing an interrogation of sorts between Joint Counterterrorism Center deputy commander Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) and Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis), a character we were first introduced to in the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron.

For fans of Black Panther and his comic book lore, you'll easily know both of these characters. Klaue is to T'Challa and Wakanda as what The Joker is to Batman and Gotham City. While we knew Klaue would be returning to the MCU in Black Panther, viewers might be surprised to see he is still without a prosthetic arm.

In the events of Age of Ultron, Klaue lost his arm after dealing some of Wakanda's vibranium supply to Ultron. In the comics, Klaue has a prosthetic arm that includes a Wakandan sonic cannon and as he still doesn't have that in this trailer, fans should expect him to get one sometime throughout the movie.

As for Ross, he's been a longtime sidekick of sorts to T'Challa, so it's great to see Marvel Studios making a nod to the comic origin of these characters.

The Lost Country of Wakanda

"What do you know about Wakanda?" Klaue asks Ross.

"It's a third world country. Textiles, shepherds, cool outfits," Ross promptly responds.

Klaue then goes on to explain that it's all a front and he's the only outside to have seen the country and live to tell about. And for fans that know anything about the country from the comics, they'd know the Klaue is telling the complete truth.

Wakanda is the most technologically-advanced country in pages of the Marvel Comicsverse, almost bordering on the line of science fiction at some points.

After Klaue tells Ross that explorers have search for it in South America while its exact location has been in Africa, we see T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman) walk down the exit ramp of his aircraft out into a location of Wakanda known as Warrior Falls.

Here, we see the various tribes of Wakanda gathered as they cheer their new king on. This is also the first time we see Forrest Whittaker's Zuri. A warrior and mentor in the comics, it looks like Whittaker's take on the character is going to be substantially different as it's hinted he's some sort of healer or shaman.

Run The Jewels

Have we mentioned how badass Run The Jewels are? The hip hop duo featuring rappers Killer Mike and El-P have been long-time friends of the House of Ideas.

As soon as T'Challa's aircraft leaves Warrior Falls, Run The Jewels' 'Legend Has It' begins playing as the trailer switches to a dark scene somewhere in the forest.

A dog is barking while looking at up at a tree, one in which T'Challa is perched in his full Black Panther digs ready to kick some ass and take some names.

This isn't the first time Run The Jewels — or RTJ — has collaborated with Marvel. Their album covers have long been used as cover swipes on various variant edition comic books and another one of their songs, 'Blockbuster Night Part 1,' was played in an episode of Iron Fist.

Killmonger's Gnarly Tribal Mask

After a brief first glimpse at Okoye (Danai Gurira), we see Michael B. Jordan's Erik Killmonger for the first time and it sure doesn't disappoint. The bad guy can be seen slipping on a tribal-themed mask before blowing the wall to the safehouse Ross and Klaue had been previously having their conversation.

Since the trailer has premiered, it's been revealed that the two will work together during the movie, although their motives remain separate.

If they follow anything from the comic books, Killmonger is more than likely hellbent on getting revenge for T'Challa's father — T'Chaka — previously exiling his family while Klaue is…well…always up to his villainous ways.

The Dora Milaje Don't Give A Craps

Right before the premiere of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Marvel Studios had an open house for their new Burbank-based offices. While giving a tour to select members of the media, they introduced several bits of concept art and showed the media clips of some of the movies they were in the process of filming, including Black Panther.

From that showing, one of the most talked about scenes was a sequence in which an all-out war broke out between Black Panther and Klaue inside of a casino, each side having their fair share of soldiers.

The Dora Milaje, the personal body guards of the King of Wakanda, are first seen in action here, kicking ass and taking names.

This scene was reportedly filmed in South Korea, as was the car chase at the end of the trailer, leading us to believe the car chase follows the casino scene within the timeline of the movie.

Klaue, Killmonger, and Councils Oh My!

The next few moments of the trailer happen in very quick succession, so you might have to watch it once or twice to pick up what goes on.

First, we see Klaue pull a gun on some security guards in what looks to be a museum of sorts, holding masks that look like the one we saw Killmonger don earlier.

We then see Killmonger lead into a room where he meets T'Challa and his advisory council. It's here we get our first looks at several of the movie's supporting characters including W'Kabi (Daniel Kaluuya), Ramonda (Angela Bassett), and a tribal elder of note played by Isaach De Bankole.

Another quick shot shows T'Challa serving his role as king and diplomat as he addresses the United Nations on what appears to be some sort of climate change talks, at least that's what the UN screens show.

We then see a snowy scene with a group consisting of Ramonda, Ross, and Shuri (Letitia Wright), almost as if they're on the run from something.

Action!

The trailer cuts to Killmonger and T'Challa fighting in hand-to-hand combat at the Warrior falls, giving us the first look of the two characters on screen together.

Killmonger continues on his path of revenge as he draws two swords in front of a squad of Dora Milaje as smoke rises in the distance.

A door opens and Shuri and Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o) are ready to kick some ass. Shuri draws out two guns that, conveniently enough, look like Klaue's arm-cannon in the comics. I think we know how he gets his arm now…right?

After a few quick fight clips, we see M'Baku (Winston Duke) with Shuri and Nakia in the foreground. If all of these events are part of one big fight scene, count us in because it's sure to be epic.

And then to end of the trailer, we see the car chase scene mentioned earlier. T'Challa leaps off of an overturning vehicle as he flawlessly lands on the roof of another one while it's moving at a rate of speed.

Before You Go

MORE BLACK PANTHER NEWS: Black Panther Cracks Top Ten Most Watched Trailers In First 24 Hours / How Black Panther Has Super Strength Revealed / First Details On Shuri Revealed / Black Panther Villain Will Have His Signature Weapon / Who Killmonger Is Working With Revealed

After the events of Marvel's Captain America: Civil War, King T'Challa returns home to the reclusive, technologically advanced African nation of Wakanda to serve as his country's new leader. However, T'Challa soon finds that he is challenged for the throne from factions within his own country. When two foes conspire to destroy Wakanda, the hero known as Black Panther must team up with C.I.A. agent Everett K. Ross and members of the Dora Milaje, Wakanadan special forces, to prevent Wakanda from being dragged into a world war.

The film stars Chadwick Boseman (Get on Up), Michael B. Jordan (Creed), Lupita Nyong'o (Star Wars: The Force Awakens), Danai Gurira (The Walking Dead), Martin Freeman (Sherlock), Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out), with Angela Bassett (American Horror Story), with Forest Whitaker (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story), and Andy Serkis (Avengers: Age of Ultron).

Additional cast members include Letitia Wright (Urban Hymn), Winston Duke (Modern Family), Florence Kasumba (Emerald City), Sterling K. Brown (The People v. O.J. Simpson) and John Kani (Coriolanus).

Ryan Coogler directs from a screenplay he co-wrote with Joe Robert Cole.

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