‘Black Panther’ Costume and Props Acquired by the Smithsonian

Black Panther made history when it debuted earlier this year, and it looks like work is already being done to honor the film for years to come.

The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture recently acquired several different objects tied to the Marvel Cinematic Universe film. In addition to the Black Panther suit that Chadwick Boseman wears in the film, the museum now has pages of the film’s spec script, production photos, and a shooting script signed by director Ryan Coogler, Kevin Feige, Nate Moore, and Jon Robert Cole.

Considering the astronomical impact that Black Panther has had in the pop culture landscape, it’s pretty easy to see why the film is being honored in this way.

“For the people who bought out theaters, who posted on social media about how lit the film would be, bragged about our awesome cast, picked out outfits to wear, and who stood in line in theaters all over the world — all before even seeing the film.” Coogler said in a social media post after the film’s release. “To the press who wrote about the film for folks who hadn’t seen it yet, and encouraged audiences to come out… And to the young ones, who came out with their parents, with their mentors, and with their friends… Thank you for giving our team of filmmakers the greatest gift: The opportunity to share this film, that we poured our hearts and souls into, with you.”

And now, fans are turning their attention to Black Panther 2, which has been confirmed to be part of Marvel’s mysterious “Phase 4”.

“We know there’s a ton more story to tell in Wakanda because even in the two hours we had there were ideas we left on the table just because of time,” producer Nate Moore told ComicBook.com. “And the good news is, because ultimately we have a good insight on what all the films are doing, we knew what Infinity War and what Avengers 4 next year will do and are able to sort of plan accordingly. So, I think there are great stories that will feel like the necessary next storytelling beat from what you’ve seen in Black Panther, but also carry the ball forward from what happened, the very real thing that happened at the end of Avengers 3 and what will again happen next May. So it’s all been planned out to as much as we plan anything out frankly, with room for great ideas to come and surprise us, but we’re excited. There’s still a ton of story left to tell.”

It’s unclear exactly when these artifacts will be on display at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, but the museum’s Facebook page says to “stay tuned” for more updates.

Will you be making the trip to Washington D.C. to see these Black Panther items? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Avengers: Infinity War is in theaters now. It will be followed by Ant-Man and the Wasp on July 6, 2018, Captain Marvel on March 8, 2019, the fourth Avengers movie on May 3, 2019, the sequel to Spider-Man: Homecoming on July 5, 2019, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 in 2020.