After several months of anticipation and several weeks of feverish build-up, Black Panther is finally set to make itself available for the general public today. While early Thursday and Wednesday night previews have already begun, the movie sees a large-scale mainstream release today. I’m personally planning on catching it in theaters over the weekend and am looking forward to share my thoughts on the movie soon.
For those of you who’re still a way from catching a screening of Ryan Coogler’s superhero flick, there’s a tidbit of news that should keep you excited. Apparently Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige is all too keen on the idea of a sequel, hinting at a rich history of stories for the character waiting to be mined. He’s also all in for having Ryan Coogler on-board; just as Taika Waititi brought his own spin and touch to Thor: Ragnarok and James Gunn and the Russo brothers have left their stamp all over the Guardians of the Galaxy and Captain America franchises, Feige feels Coogler has brought his own brand of film-making to the movie. On being asked by Variety about how many more Black Panther movies will be there, he had this to say:
We always say we work on one movie at a time. If you have any good ideas, put it in the movie you’re making. If you don’t, you might not be able to make another one. That said, Panther has been around for more than half a century in the comic books and there are many, many stories to tell.
With all the buzz it’s been creating, there’s no doubt Black Panther will set some historic records for a standalone Marvel Studios film and maybe for a movie in general. If you’re planning on watching it, but haven’t gone around to it yet, you might consider wanting to give it consideration. Meanwhile, to bide your time, you can check out Marvel’s Black Panther prequel comic tie-on for the film that tells the story of T’Challa taking on the mantle of the Black Panther and his first mission with one of the Dora Milaje Okoye, as the two track down a pair of mercenaries who have taken Wakandan citizens hostage.
Black Panther rolls into theaters today.