Best Celebrity Reactions to ‘Black Panther’

Marvel Studios’ Black Panther is the latest critically acclaimed film birthed out of the shared Marvel Cinematic Universe, already home to an impressive cavalcade of 17 consecutive number one openings at the box office — none of which have received a dreaded “rotten.”

(The blockbuster-to-be is outpacing every other superhero movie in advance ticket sales, to boot.)

Officially certified fresh on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes with 98 percent, Black Panther has been praised in its earliest reactions not only for checking all the right Marvel blockbuster boxes — story, character, a blend of heart and humor, and big scale action — but for promoting black excellence for an audience that is represented too little on the big screen.

Starring the latest Marvel Comics superhero to claw his way out from niche to mainstream thanks to the efforts of Marvel Studios, Black Panther is described as quite the phenomenon, with high praise coming from both established film critics and the celebrity attendees of its swanky Hollywood premiere.

Josh Gad

Josh Gad, best known as the voice of huggable snowman Olaf in Frozen and for his role as LeFou in Disney’s live-action re-imagining of Beauty and the Beast, says to “believe the hype.”

“Believe the words ‘cultural phenomenon,’” Gad wrote on Twitter following Black Panther‘s purple carpet premiere. “#BlackPanther is about to blow minds and take names. My God. Where to even begin. Long live the King.”

Accompanying Gad’s glowing review was a pair of pictures taken with star Chadwick Boseman. 

 

Chloe Bennet and Clark Gregg

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. star Chloe Bennet said calling the blockbuster a “cultural phenomenon” has “never felt more appropriate.”

Black Panther is “incredible, and powerful and everything we need right now,” Bennet wrote on Twitter, encouraging fans to do themselves a favor and go see it.

“Wow,” wrote Bennet’s S.H.I.E.L.D. co-star Clark Gregg on Instagram, saying the movie is “deep and thrilling and passionate and packed with laughs.”

Gregg offered his thanks to Coogler, Marvel Studios, and Black Panther‘s “uniformly brilliant” cast.

Miles Brown

Pint-sized Black-ish star Miles Brown, a Marvel Studios movie premiere regular, called the movie and its premiere “fire.”

Brown aimed a shoutout towards Marvel, Boseman, director Ryan Coogler, and the Black Panther cast for “making another classic.”

“I knew it was going to be AWESOME,” added the young star. 

Peyton Reed and James Gunn

Also in attendance was Ant-Man and Ant-Man and the Wasp director Peyton Reed, who called Coogler’s film “fantastic.”

“Beautiful, soulful, thoughtful and of the moment,” Reed wrote on Twitter. “Ryan Coogler knows what he’s doing. Long live T’Challa!”

Guardians of the Galaxy and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 director James Gunn also praised his Marvel Studios colleague, writing, “Extraordinary work by Ryan Coogler and company!”

Gunn finished his tweet with the hashtag “#WakandaForever.”

Laura Harrier

Spider-Man: Homecoming star Laura Harrier, who played Peter Parker’s romantic interest Liz, couldn’t hold back the hype.

“Black Panther was so good goddamn,” she wrote in all caps on Twitter, adding the hashtag “#BlackExcellence.”

Tessa Thompson

Another Marvel star shared the sentiment.

“Black Panther, my goodness,” wrote Tessa Thompson, who played Valkyrie in Thor: Ragnarok, a role the actress is expected to reprise in Avengers: Infinity War.

Thompson, who played the female lead in Coogler’s Creed alongside Black Panther bad guy Michael B. Jordan, shared a picture of her smiley reunion with the filmmaker, offering a simple caption: “All Hail King Coogler.”

Kumail Nanjiani

Familiar character actor Kumail Nanjiani, who most recently received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay alongside co-writer Emily V. Gordon for acclaimed romantic comedy drama The Big Sick, said Black Panther is “so very good.”

“I cheered and laughed and pumped my fist,” Nanjiani wrote. “I’ve never seen a superhero movie like it. Everybody involved with it deserves a medal and a high five.”

Donald Glover

Donald Glover, who plays Lando Calrissian in Solo: A Star Wars Story and lends his voice to Simba in upcoming Disney re-imagining The Lion King, called Black Panther “beautiful.”

“We should keep celebrating,” Glover wrote on Twitter. “Who’s out here?”

Because he does it all, Glover provided script notes to Coogler, who co-wrote as well as directed Black Panther, and is thanked in the film’s end credits for his efforts.

Opening up to Marvel on the purple carpet about his Spider-Man: Homecoming role as Aaron Davis, Glover motioned towards a nearby Miles Brown, saying “I think he’d be great” to one day play Miles Morales. 

Elizabeth Banks and Martin Lawrence

Filmmaker and actress Elizabeth Banks, who starred in Sam Raimi’s now-retired trilogy of Spider-Man films as Daily Bugle secretary Betty Brant, “loved” the movie, she wrote on Twitter. “All congrats to Ryan Coogler,” Banks wrote, adding the cast is “fire” and “the ladies stole the show.”

Banks offered her praise to stars Lupita Nyong’o, Letitia Wright, Danai Gurira, and veteran actress Angela Bassett, all who make their first foray into the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Black Panther.

Also on hand for the purple carpet premiere was legendary comedian Martin Lawrence, who similarly called the night of the event “fire.”

“Y’all gotta go see it!” Martin said of the movie on Instagram.

Jill Scott

Actress Jill Scott, who voiced famous X-Men member Storm in the 2010 BET Black Panther animated series and who more recently boarded The CW’s Black Lightning, said the film “surpassed Star Wars” — the original — adding the film left her “smiling” and “inspired.” 

Black Panther, starring Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Letitia Wright, Andy Serkis, Martin Freeman, Forest Whitaker, and Angela Bassett, opens February 16.

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