An estimated audience of 19.4 million tuned into Game 4 of the 2017 NBA Finals, a 15% growth over the same game last year. Sure, while most of the people tuning were probably watching the Cleveland Cavaliers attempt to stay alive against the undefeated-in-the-playoffs Golden State Warriors, one would think a considerable amount of us nerds tuned in. After all, on the morning of the game, all Marvel Studios social accounts released the first Black Panther movie poster teasing a teaser trailer later in the day during the NBA Finals.
We didn’t have to wait long, the teaser dropped during a TV timeout in the game’s first quarter and in case you haven’t been on any social media outlets in the past 24 hours, the teaser was an absolute hit.
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While we get more screen time of Chadwick Boseman‘s T’Challa/Black Panther, we got our first looks at several of his supporting characters, including Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) and various Dora Milaje (Lupita Nyong’o and Danai Gurira). We saw Andy Serkis reprise his role as perennial Black Panther bad guy Ulysses Klaue as he spoke with Everett Ross (Martin Freeman), a character who’s returning after a brief role as a government operative in Captain America: Civil War.
Now, we rank the top five moments from the trailer.
Run The Jewels
After Klaue reveals the true identity of the African country of Wakanda to Martin Freeman’s Everett Ross, action starts picking up as Run The Jewel’s ‘Legend Has It’ begins playing in the background.
While Ross said that Wakanda was nothing more than a developing third-world country that exported textiles, Klaue informed him that it was all a front; instead he shared that Wakanda was one of the most technologically advanced countries on the planet.
And therein lies the reason why ‘Legend Has It’ is the perfect choice for this trailer. Apparently in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Wakanda is still a country that most of the world has yet to be exposed to, making the country all but a legend.
Run The Jewels, a hip hop duo made up of rappers Killer Mike and El-P, are a favorite over at the House of Ideas. While ‘Legend Has It’ is off of their latest album Run The Jewels 3, which was just released this past January, a song from their second album — Blockbuster Night Part 1 — played during one of Collen Wing’s cage fight scenes in Iron Fist. Oh yeah, did we mention their album covers are often used to make some pretty gnarly cover swipe variant covers on Marvel comic books?
Casino Scene & Subsequent Car Chase
At the open house of the new Marvel Studios offices earlier this spring, select members of the media were treated to clips from Black Panther, including epic fight sequence in a casino and a car chase scene, which assumedly happens immediately after the casino fight.
While the media saw a clip of the casino scene that saw Klaue and his entourage enter the casino before exchanging tense pleasantries, the brief sequence we saw in the trailer show T’Challa, Nakia, and Okoye in the casino before all hell breaks loose and the two Dora Milaje have to kick some ass.
Erik Killmonger
Do you remember that saying Aaron Eckhart’s Harvey Dent uttered in The Dark Knight? You either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain. It appears the adage is especially true for Michael B. Jordan — at least when it comes to superhero movies, that is.
Even though he had breakout performances in Fruitvale Station and Creed, the actor appeared as Johnny Storm in Josh Tranks’ failed Fantastic Four reboot, a movie we need not talk any further. Needless to say, after playing the Human Torch, Jordan joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Erik Killmonger, a long-time nemesis of T’Challa’s.
We get quite a few looks at Killmonger throughout the teaser, including a scene where he dons a gnarly horned animal mask while breaking Klaue out from the safehouse we saw him speaking to Ross in the opening moments.
We also see Killmonger approach at least half a dozen Dora Milaje guards as he draws two swords; and we see the character interacting with T’Challa’s advisory council, which seems to be a trial of sorts.
Last, we see the antagonist fighting T’Challa in hand-to-hand combat, which brings us to…
Wakanda
Although briefly saw Captain America and the Winter Soldier in a Wakandan facility at the end of Captain America: Civil War and a quick scene at a vibranium mine in the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron, we haven’t gotten a real good look at the landscape of Wakanda until this teaser.
Right as the teaser kicks off, Ross explains Wakanda as “a third world country” that deals in “textiles, shepherds, and cool outfits.”
“All a front,” Klaue responds. “Explorers have search for it, called it El Dorado. They looked for it in South America, but it was in Africa the whole time. I’m the only one who’s seen it and made it out alive.”
While the country is, in fact, a known entity in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it appears the Wakandans having been keeping their country under wraps and out of the limelight, and for a good reason — it’s beautiful.
We see T’Challa walk down the exit ramp of his aircraft and out into Warrior Falls, where the Wakanda tribes have all gathered to welcome their new king. It’s here that we’re introduced to Forest Whittaker’s Zuri, a classic supporting character in nearly every Black Panther comic run.
Throughout the teaser, we’re shown all several angles of the most technologically-advanced country on Planet Earth. Although the scenes at Warrior Falls show tribal-based themes, we also see futuristic skyline as T’Challa’s aircraft flies over.
Dora Milaje
We got our first glimpse at the Dora Milaje as actress Florence Kasumba appeared as Ayo in Captain America: Civil War.
The Dora Milaje are an all-female special forces unit that serves as the personal body guards of King T’Challa. First appearing in Black Panther (Vol. 3) #1 by Christopher Priest and Mark Texeira, the guards have been a major part of Wakanda lore ever since and judging by their appearances in this teaser, they’re about to become a major force within the Marvel Cinematic Universe for years to come.
While Kasumba is reprising her role as Ayo, the film added two big time actresses as fellow Dora Milaje guards: Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years a Slave) will portray Nakia while Danai Gurira (The Walking Dead) is set to play Okoye, the leader of the Dora Milaje in the MCU.
Each time we see the Dora Milaje in the trailer, a moment of complete and utter badassery follows, so expect to see these ladies play pivotal roles when Black Panther debuts next February.
Before You Go
Black Panther hits theaters February 16, 2018. Are you excited for the King of Wakanda to star in a Marvel Studios film? Let us know with your vote in the Anticipation Rankings below!
MORE BLACK PANTHER NEWS: Who Killmonger Is Working With Revealed / DC’s Geoff Johns Praises Black Panther Trailer / Black Panther: First Details On Shuri Revealed / How Black Panther Has Super Strength Revealed
Marvel Studios’ “Black Panther” follows T’Challa who, after the death of his father, the King of Wakanda, returns home to the isolated, technologically advanced African nation to succeed to the throne and take his rightful place as king. But when a powerful old enemy reappears, T’Challa’s mettle as king—and Black Panther—is tested when he is drawn into a formidable conflict that puts the fate of Wakanda and the entire world at risk. Faced with treachery and danger, the young king must rally his allies and release the full power of Black Panther to defeat his foes and secure the safety of his people and their way of life.
Black Panther stars Chadwick Boseman (T’Challa/Black Panther), Lupita Nyong’o (Nakia), Michael B. Jordan (Erik Killmonger), Danai Gurira (Okoye), Martin Freeman (Everett K. Ross), Daniel Kaluuya (W’Kabi), Angela Bassett (Ramonda), Forest Whitaker (Zuri), Andy Serkis (Ulysses Klaw), Florence Kasumba (Ayo), John Kani (King T’Chaka), Winston Duke (M’Baku/Man-Ape), Sterling K. Brown (N’Jobu), and Letitia Wright (Shuri).
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