Erik Killmonger
TRUE KING OF WAKANDA
this what russo bros were talking bout when they said they still need to add luminescence to Panther suit in the trailerOmar came through
May 2016, lets get it
Official Black Panther MCU Thread
- Thread starter Birnin Zana
- Start date
Is this the real cover? Suit looks great with the vibranium details, but why they have to associate those bytchmade references to BP with the meow and housewives comparisons? This is T'challah we talking bout here, not fukking Selena Kyle.
Birnin Zana
Honorary Wakandan
Yea, it's the real one.
Great photo, but EW was trying to be funny with those comments, but that shyt flopped. They getting some pushback from fans cuz of it.
Good, they should. Can't be coming with that fakkity shyt for the King of Wakanda.
Meow...really
EW
Erik Killmonger
TRUE KING OF WAKANDA
Black Panther: Meet Marvel's fearsome warrior from Captain America: Civil War
Black Panther is no joke.
It’d be easy to snark about how Captain America and Iron Man were barely managing to hold their alliance together until a certain black cat crossed their path, but the truth is – they both want him on their side.
Black Panther commands respect. (And you definitely don’t want him against you.)
The historic first black comic book superhero will be getting his own stand-alone movie in February 2018, but we’ll first encounter Chadwick Boseman’s warrior-prince on May 6 in the clash between heroes in Captain America: Civil War.
Panther is a key figure in the conflict between Chris Evans’s Cap and Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man, and his allegiance is in flux — although he’s got serious issues with Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes, a.k.a. the Winter Soldier, which steers him alongside the man in the iron mask.
While Tony Stark is known for flooding the zone with wisecracks, Black Panther isn’t fooling around.
“He’s definitely not the life of the party in this instance,” says Boseman, who won the role last October. “I think this is something true of the comic book character and the movie. You never quite know where he stands. There’s always a bit of concealing and mystery. So I think mysterious is more his boat. Not to say there’s not charm and he can’t be a ladies’ man and all that. It’s more like if there is humor, it’s more like James Bond.”
For the uninitiated, Black Panther, whose real name is T’Challa, is a prince from the fictional African nation of Wakanda, a technologically advanced nation that’s home to the world’s largest natural supply of vibranium — the same malleable-yet-indestructible metal that comprises Cap’s shield. Black Panther is not just a badass secret identity; in the comics it is a title passed down through the generations of rulers.
The character was first introduced in Fantastic Four#52 in July 1966, at a time when black characters in general were few and far between in comic books – and ones treated with the awe and admiration reserved for white heroes were even more rare.
Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson, a.k.a. Falcon, may have come first in the movie timeline, but Panther cleared the way for that character in print – along with other black superheroes like Luke Cage, Storm, Misty Knight, and more recently, Miles Morales, who took on the mantle of Spider-Man in Marvel’s “Ultimate Universe.”
Next spring, around the time the character makes his screen debut, Marvel Comics will publish a new Black Panther comics series written by Ta-Nehisi Coates, the journalist whose book, Between the World and Me, a missive to his own son about living as a black man in the United States, recently won the National Book Award for Nonfiction.
So, even in real life, Black Panther has a powerful legacy — and one that’s still growing.
The movie has a lot to live up to.
In Civil War, T’Challa is drawn into the conflict between Cap and Iron Man that arises from the Sokovia Accords, which were enacted by world leaders after the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron as a way to mandate control over those with “enhanced abilities” who say they only want to do good for the world.
“There definitely is a sort of tradition that he’s torn between, in terms of how things were done in the past and how things need to happen now in this new world,” says Boseman, who’s best known for playing James Brown in Get On Up and Jackie Robinson in 42. “I think there’s perhaps a bit of a maverick there, and then there’s also a need to live up to traditions and his father’s legacy. And not even his father’s legacy, but the entire nation of Wakanda. I think those are the things you will see.”
Under different circumstances, Steve Rogers, another warrior whose very identity represents his country, might find common ground with Panther.
“I love our scenes together because I do think they feel a sense of responsibility. I think they’re both very selfless people,” Evans says.“They want the right thing, no one’s irrational, no one has an inflated ego.” (That’s got to be a dig at Iron Man, by the way.) “They’re family-first people,” Evans says. “I think outside of the suits we’d be friends, Steve and T’Challa.”
Kevin Feige, the president of Marvel Studios and creator of the interlocked series of movies (Civil War is No. 13, for those keeping track), says Panther was added to the story ahead of his solo-movie debut because the story needed someone who had his own agenda, who was a third party separate from the factions that aligned themselves behind Captain America and Iron Man.
“We kept talking about ‘Somebody like Black Panther …’ After the third or fourth time that came up in a development meeting, someone said,‘Can’t we just do the Black Panther?’ And we all looked at each other and said, ‘Yeah, I guess we could,’” Feige says. “We introduce him here, give him an arc, and make him a full character. We don’t just give him a cameo, to wave. He has his own conflict and his own people that he’s looking out for.”
Executive producer Nate Moore calls T’Challa “the undecided voter”: “He’s someone who hasn’t necessarily made up his mind about either side and whose agenda isn’t exactly what Cap’s agenda or what Tony’s agenda is. And I think that brings him into conflict weirdly with both characters at different times in the film. He is the prince of an African nation that has so far stayed very much sort of in the shadows. And eventually the film will draw him and his father out of the shadows.”
The movie version is also not the same Black Panther fans now see in comics, almost 40 years after his creation. “In publishing, he is sort of this very wise and a sanguine figure who seems to know more than he lets on,” Moore says. “I think this is Black Panther in his younger years, where he maybe is a little bit more fiery than I think how they write him in the comics because he’s very much in the nascent stages of being a hero. So that means he is probably more fallible than the Black Panther that you read in comics, but for reasons that are completely logical.”
In the trailer for Civil War, we catch only a glimpse of Black Panther — delivering a spin-kick to the face of Winter Soldier — the brainwashed assassin and former best friend of Captain America’s, who is seeking redemption but has apparently been framed for a horrible crime. (No spoilers, but it’s not much of a leap to assume that T’Challa’s father may have been one of the victims of the blast targeting those world leaders, and was either killed or seriously hurt.)
But Boseman says no one’s loyalty is simple in this story. “Ultimately some sides are taken, but I think the trick of the movie is for no one to be blindly following,” he says. “Everybody is actually on their own side, in truth.”
Unlike Chris Hemsworth’s Thor, another prince from a far off kingdom, who was introduced in the movies as a petulant prince unworthy of his powers and title, T’Challa doesn’t have those kinds of hang-ups. “The spoiled brat thing is never an option,” Boseman says. “He’s not in any way unaware of how important his role and his position is. I think he’s very much aware of the responsibility.”
So the responsibility thing is down. But what are his great powers?
“Panther is a cool character and he has a toughness, and a sort of intimidation factor with his costume,” says Anthony Russo, who directed Civil War with his brother, Joe. (The pair also made Captain America: The Winter Soldier together and are signed on to make the two-part Avengers: Infinity War movies in 2018 and 2019.) “We’re experimenting with how the light catches the costume.”
That’s because Black Panther’s outfit is not actually cloth. It’s metal. It’s vibranium. “It has a sheen because its a weave of the strongest metal in this fictional universe,” says Joe Russo.
“It’s like medieval chain mail, woven extremely thin,” Anthony adds. “It’s not comparable to any other costumes in the universe.”
Ask Boseman about the suit, and he lets out a low, rumbling laugh. “Are you talking about the mythology or the actual suit?” he says. The fiction is amazing, he says, but actually wearing the thing… not so much. The narrow, white-lensed eyes made it particularly hard for the actor to simply see where he was going.
“As far as the actual suit is concerned, I would say there’s a lot of comfort in the shoes, or the boots,” Boseman says. “That’s probably the only part I did enjoy! After you get them on you’re like, ‘Okay, that feels good.’ But other than that, I remember feeling extremely hot and claustrophobic, like, ‘How in the world am I gonna move and act and respond in this?’ But the shoes feel good. Everything else you get used to.”
But the imaginative parts? That was fun.
“As far as the storytelling is concerned, the vibranium is a metal that is dynamic. It can change how it’s used. It’s not a liquid, but it has the ability to change shape and change form and still have its strength. I think there a lot of things about that in the mythology that I think has a lot of potential in terms of the storytelling,” Boseman says.
Vibranium is not your typical armor. “It’s not just about being durable, it has the ability to absorb energy,” Boseman says. “It’s not just like you hit it and it doesn’t take it. It has the ability to absorb the attack of another person and repel or respond to that attack. That’s part of the power.”
As for fighting style, Black Panther has a unique amalgam of moves. “There are some animal forms, but not just cat. He could be a snake, or various different styles. Obviously there’s an opportunity to do some capoeira,” the Brazilian martial art that combines fighting with dance, Boseman says.
Part of Panther’s power is not just brute strength, but thinking ahead. “The key with T’Challa is to keep everybody on their toes. It’s to do the thing that is surprising, that you wouldn’t expect. So there’s a lot of agility and a lot of, like, ‘Why did he do that? Oh now I know why he did that. He was gonna come over here after he did that.’ I wouldn’t say he’s a ninja, but he does employ some of those aspects as well.”
Panther’s retractable claws are also made of vibranium — and since Cap’s shield is also forged from the substance: Who wins in a fight?
The Russo brothers have a simple answer for that: “We shall see,” Joe says.
But from Boseman’s point of view …? There’s not even a question.
“If you’re talking to Mayweather about the Mayweather/Pacquiao fight, then Mayweather’s gonna say he’s gonna win,” Boseman says. “I have to back myself.”
Black Panther: Meet Marvel's fearsome warrior from 'Captain America: Civil War'
Black Panther is no joke.
It’d be easy to snark about how Captain America and Iron Man were barely managing to hold their alliance together until a certain black cat crossed their path, but the truth is – they both want him on their side.
Black Panther commands respect. (And you definitely don’t want him against you.)
The historic first black comic book superhero will be getting his own stand-alone movie in February 2018, but we’ll first encounter Chadwick Boseman’s warrior-prince on May 6 in the clash between heroes in Captain America: Civil War.
Panther is a key figure in the conflict between Chris Evans’s Cap and Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man, and his allegiance is in flux — although he’s got serious issues with Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes, a.k.a. the Winter Soldier, which steers him alongside the man in the iron mask.
While Tony Stark is known for flooding the zone with wisecracks, Black Panther isn’t fooling around.
“He’s definitely not the life of the party in this instance,” says Boseman, who won the role last October. “I think this is something true of the comic book character and the movie. You never quite know where he stands. There’s always a bit of concealing and mystery. So I think mysterious is more his boat. Not to say there’s not charm and he can’t be a ladies’ man and all that. It’s more like if there is humor, it’s more like James Bond.”
For the uninitiated, Black Panther, whose real name is T’Challa, is a prince from the fictional African nation of Wakanda, a technologically advanced nation that’s home to the world’s largest natural supply of vibranium — the same malleable-yet-indestructible metal that comprises Cap’s shield. Black Panther is not just a badass secret identity; in the comics it is a title passed down through the generations of rulers.
The character was first introduced in Fantastic Four#52 in July 1966, at a time when black characters in general were few and far between in comic books – and ones treated with the awe and admiration reserved for white heroes were even more rare.
Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson, a.k.a. Falcon, may have come first in the movie timeline, but Panther cleared the way for that character in print – along with other black superheroes like Luke Cage, Storm, Misty Knight, and more recently, Miles Morales, who took on the mantle of Spider-Man in Marvel’s “Ultimate Universe.”
Next spring, around the time the character makes his screen debut, Marvel Comics will publish a new Black Panther comics series written by Ta-Nehisi Coates, the journalist whose book, Between the World and Me, a missive to his own son about living as a black man in the United States, recently won the National Book Award for Nonfiction.
So, even in real life, Black Panther has a powerful legacy — and one that’s still growing.
The movie has a lot to live up to.
In Civil War, T’Challa is drawn into the conflict between Cap and Iron Man that arises from the Sokovia Accords, which were enacted by world leaders after the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron as a way to mandate control over those with “enhanced abilities” who say they only want to do good for the world.
“There definitely is a sort of tradition that he’s torn between, in terms of how things were done in the past and how things need to happen now in this new world,” says Boseman, who’s best known for playing James Brown in Get On Up and Jackie Robinson in 42. “I think there’s perhaps a bit of a maverick there, and then there’s also a need to live up to traditions and his father’s legacy. And not even his father’s legacy, but the entire nation of Wakanda. I think those are the things you will see.”
Under different circumstances, Steve Rogers, another warrior whose very identity represents his country, might find common ground with Panther.
“I love our scenes together because I do think they feel a sense of responsibility. I think they’re both very selfless people,” Evans says.“They want the right thing, no one’s irrational, no one has an inflated ego.” (That’s got to be a dig at Iron Man, by the way.) “They’re family-first people,” Evans says. “I think outside of the suits we’d be friends, Steve and T’Challa.”
Kevin Feige, the president of Marvel Studios and creator of the interlocked series of movies (Civil War is No. 13, for those keeping track), says Panther was added to the story ahead of his solo-movie debut because the story needed someone who had his own agenda, who was a third party separate from the factions that aligned themselves behind Captain America and Iron Man.
“We kept talking about ‘Somebody like Black Panther …’ After the third or fourth time that came up in a development meeting, someone said,‘Can’t we just do the Black Panther?’ And we all looked at each other and said, ‘Yeah, I guess we could,’” Feige says. “We introduce him here, give him an arc, and make him a full character. We don’t just give him a cameo, to wave. He has his own conflict and his own people that he’s looking out for.”
Executive producer Nate Moore calls T’Challa “the undecided voter”: “He’s someone who hasn’t necessarily made up his mind about either side and whose agenda isn’t exactly what Cap’s agenda or what Tony’s agenda is. And I think that brings him into conflict weirdly with both characters at different times in the film. He is the prince of an African nation that has so far stayed very much sort of in the shadows. And eventually the film will draw him and his father out of the shadows.”
The movie version is also not the same Black Panther fans now see in comics, almost 40 years after his creation. “In publishing, he is sort of this very wise and a sanguine figure who seems to know more than he lets on,” Moore says. “I think this is Black Panther in his younger years, where he maybe is a little bit more fiery than I think how they write him in the comics because he’s very much in the nascent stages of being a hero. So that means he is probably more fallible than the Black Panther that you read in comics, but for reasons that are completely logical.”
In the trailer for Civil War, we catch only a glimpse of Black Panther — delivering a spin-kick to the face of Winter Soldier — the brainwashed assassin and former best friend of Captain America’s, who is seeking redemption but has apparently been framed for a horrible crime. (No spoilers, but it’s not much of a leap to assume that T’Challa’s father may have been one of the victims of the blast targeting those world leaders, and was either killed or seriously hurt.)
But Boseman says no one’s loyalty is simple in this story. “Ultimately some sides are taken, but I think the trick of the movie is for no one to be blindly following,” he says. “Everybody is actually on their own side, in truth.”
Unlike Chris Hemsworth’s Thor, another prince from a far off kingdom, who was introduced in the movies as a petulant prince unworthy of his powers and title, T’Challa doesn’t have those kinds of hang-ups. “The spoiled brat thing is never an option,” Boseman says. “He’s not in any way unaware of how important his role and his position is. I think he’s very much aware of the responsibility.”
So the responsibility thing is down. But what are his great powers?
“Panther is a cool character and he has a toughness, and a sort of intimidation factor with his costume,” says Anthony Russo, who directed Civil War with his brother, Joe. (The pair also made Captain America: The Winter Soldier together and are signed on to make the two-part Avengers: Infinity War movies in 2018 and 2019.) “We’re experimenting with how the light catches the costume.”
That’s because Black Panther’s outfit is not actually cloth. It’s metal. It’s vibranium. “It has a sheen because its a weave of the strongest metal in this fictional universe,” says Joe Russo.
“It’s like medieval chain mail, woven extremely thin,” Anthony adds. “It’s not comparable to any other costumes in the universe.”
Ask Boseman about the suit, and he lets out a low, rumbling laugh. “Are you talking about the mythology or the actual suit?” he says. The fiction is amazing, he says, but actually wearing the thing… not so much. The narrow, white-lensed eyes made it particularly hard for the actor to simply see where he was going.
“As far as the actual suit is concerned, I would say there’s a lot of comfort in the shoes, or the boots,” Boseman says. “That’s probably the only part I did enjoy! After you get them on you’re like, ‘Okay, that feels good.’ But other than that, I remember feeling extremely hot and claustrophobic, like, ‘How in the world am I gonna move and act and respond in this?’ But the shoes feel good. Everything else you get used to.”
But the imaginative parts? That was fun.
“As far as the storytelling is concerned, the vibranium is a metal that is dynamic. It can change how it’s used. It’s not a liquid, but it has the ability to change shape and change form and still have its strength. I think there a lot of things about that in the mythology that I think has a lot of potential in terms of the storytelling,” Boseman says.
Vibranium is not your typical armor. “It’s not just about being durable, it has the ability to absorb energy,” Boseman says. “It’s not just like you hit it and it doesn’t take it. It has the ability to absorb the attack of another person and repel or respond to that attack. That’s part of the power.”
As for fighting style, Black Panther has a unique amalgam of moves. “There are some animal forms, but not just cat. He could be a snake, or various different styles. Obviously there’s an opportunity to do some capoeira,” the Brazilian martial art that combines fighting with dance, Boseman says.
Part of Panther’s power is not just brute strength, but thinking ahead. “The key with T’Challa is to keep everybody on their toes. It’s to do the thing that is surprising, that you wouldn’t expect. So there’s a lot of agility and a lot of, like, ‘Why did he do that? Oh now I know why he did that. He was gonna come over here after he did that.’ I wouldn’t say he’s a ninja, but he does employ some of those aspects as well.”
Panther’s retractable claws are also made of vibranium — and since Cap’s shield is also forged from the substance: Who wins in a fight?
The Russo brothers have a simple answer for that: “We shall see,” Joe says.
But from Boseman’s point of view …? There’s not even a question.
“If you’re talking to Mayweather about the Mayweather/Pacquiao fight, then Mayweather’s gonna say he’s gonna win,” Boseman says. “I have to back myself.”
Black Panther: Meet Marvel's fearsome warrior from 'Captain America: Civil War'
Birnin Zana
Honorary Wakandan
Some jewels from the EW article.
EDIT: @Omar27 has the full article in previous post.
Damn, if so....No wonder T'Challa wants him to get got .
I actually fukk with this. We usually see T'Challa when he was a few years under his belt, not when he's just starting. That he's a bit more fiery can be a good thing too (gotta go hard on ppl)
.
Hell yea!
EDIT: @Omar27 has the full article in previous post.
Damn, if so....No wonder T'Challa wants him to get got .
I actually fukk with this. We usually see T'Challa when he was a few years under his belt, not when he's just starting. That he's a bit more fiery can be a good thing too (gotta go hard on ppl)
. Hell yea!
Birnin Zana
Honorary Wakandan
Ukbrotha
Superstar
T'Challa 'bout to drop a Classic
Birnin Zana
Honorary Wakandan
Entertainment Weekly's Insulting Black Panther Cover Shows There's Still a Long Way to Go
You know Black Panther. I know Black Panther. But at this point, the average person out there in the world doesn't know Black Panther, even following actor Chadwick Boseman's brief live-action debut in the role in the recently released "Captain America: Civil War" trailer, which as of publication of this article has been viewed more than 40 million times on YouTube alone.
So landing on the cover of "Entertainment Weekly" -- which even in the waning days of print media reported a 1.8 million circulation in 2013, along with a robust online presence -- is a big deal for the hero. This week's EW cover, released online today, features Boseman, in costume between Chris Evans as Captain America and Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man (they're both unmasked, Boseman is not) promoting a cover story on "Civil War," which will introduce Black Panther to the Marvel Cinematic Universe before he goes on to star in a solo film set for 2018; the first Marvel film of the post-"Iron Man" era to star a Black superhero.
It lll sounds pretty good until you take a closer look at the cover -- Black Panther has a "Meow" dialogue prompt above his head (Cap and Iron Man remain diaogue-free). This is the copy EW went with when introducing the first Black superhero in mainstream American comics to the world at large: "The biggest Marvel movie yet introduces Black Panther. He's tall, powerful -- and has claws that a Real Housewife would envy."
Yes, one of the most historically significant characters in comic book history has been reduced to a joke -- twice! -- on the magazine cover where potentially millions of people (don't forget the multitudes who will see this cover in our nation's grocery stores and doctor's offices) will see said character for the first time. It's not fair to Boseman, an acclaimed actor set for the highest-profile role of a career that's already included some rather major roles (playing Jackie Robinson in "42," playing James Brown in "Get On Up"). It's not fair to the comics fans to whom Black Panther means a great deal in terms of progress and representation. It's not fair to comics in general, as it's yet another reminder that for a large part of the population, the medium is and will remain something to not take seriously at all costs. (And do panthers even meow?)
Sure, Marvel has a lot of characters that invite having fun. "Guardians of the Galaxy," "Ant-Man" and even "The Avengers" have some inherent absurdity in their concepts, and the films reflect that. But specifically, Black Panther is a serious character -- he doesn't really crack jokes, and he's the super-smart, super-capable king of an African nation. As CBR columnist Joseph Illidge put it just this week in THE MISSION, "Black Panther exists in a unique category of heroes. That of the intellectual, wealthy ruler. He is a symbol of the Black male heritage, accomplishments, and aspirations. The Black Panther is the antithesis of the demonization of the American Black man, perpetuated by various parties in media and government institutions." Both jokes in EW's cover copy emasculate a character that represents Black success; the end result is problematic and oddly tone-deaf.
Jokey cover copy is a trademark of "Entertainment Weekly" -- I'm a subscriber and have been a reader since I was in elementary school. I don't think there was any negative intent on the magazine's part, and I'm sure the actual article pays the character due respect. But there's also a responsibility, here. This is the first Black superhero in American comics, and the first Black superhero to headline a film in the massively popular Marvel Cinematic Universe and this is the way that likely millions of people will see the character for the first time. Maybe save the jokes for the sequel?
You know Black Panther. I know Black Panther. But at this point, the average person out there in the world doesn't know Black Panther, even following actor Chadwick Boseman's brief live-action debut in the role in the recently released "Captain America: Civil War" trailer, which as of publication of this article has been viewed more than 40 million times on YouTube alone.
So landing on the cover of "Entertainment Weekly" -- which even in the waning days of print media reported a 1.8 million circulation in 2013, along with a robust online presence -- is a big deal for the hero. This week's EW cover, released online today, features Boseman, in costume between Chris Evans as Captain America and Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man (they're both unmasked, Boseman is not) promoting a cover story on "Civil War," which will introduce Black Panther to the Marvel Cinematic Universe before he goes on to star in a solo film set for 2018; the first Marvel film of the post-"Iron Man" era to star a Black superhero.
It lll sounds pretty good until you take a closer look at the cover -- Black Panther has a "Meow" dialogue prompt above his head (Cap and Iron Man remain diaogue-free). This is the copy EW went with when introducing the first Black superhero in mainstream American comics to the world at large: "The biggest Marvel movie yet introduces Black Panther. He's tall, powerful -- and has claws that a Real Housewife would envy."
Yes, one of the most historically significant characters in comic book history has been reduced to a joke -- twice! -- on the magazine cover where potentially millions of people (don't forget the multitudes who will see this cover in our nation's grocery stores and doctor's offices) will see said character for the first time. It's not fair to Boseman, an acclaimed actor set for the highest-profile role of a career that's already included some rather major roles (playing Jackie Robinson in "42," playing James Brown in "Get On Up"). It's not fair to the comics fans to whom Black Panther means a great deal in terms of progress and representation. It's not fair to comics in general, as it's yet another reminder that for a large part of the population, the medium is and will remain something to not take seriously at all costs. (And do panthers even meow?)
Sure, Marvel has a lot of characters that invite having fun. "Guardians of the Galaxy," "Ant-Man" and even "The Avengers" have some inherent absurdity in their concepts, and the films reflect that. But specifically, Black Panther is a serious character -- he doesn't really crack jokes, and he's the super-smart, super-capable king of an African nation. As CBR columnist Joseph Illidge put it just this week in THE MISSION, "Black Panther exists in a unique category of heroes. That of the intellectual, wealthy ruler. He is a symbol of the Black male heritage, accomplishments, and aspirations. The Black Panther is the antithesis of the demonization of the American Black man, perpetuated by various parties in media and government institutions." Both jokes in EW's cover copy emasculate a character that represents Black success; the end result is problematic and oddly tone-deaf.
Jokey cover copy is a trademark of "Entertainment Weekly" -- I'm a subscriber and have been a reader since I was in elementary school. I don't think there was any negative intent on the magazine's part, and I'm sure the actual article pays the character due respect. But there's also a responsibility, here. This is the first Black superhero in American comics, and the first Black superhero to headline a film in the massively popular Marvel Cinematic Universe and this is the way that likely millions of people will see the character for the first time. Maybe save the jokes for the sequel?
|r|e|a|d|
Hail!!
"I understand your frustration in dealing with a Black Man who cant be bought off with a truck full of guns , a plane full of blondes and a Swiss bank account, " - T'Chaka
Probably my favorite line in all of comics
Probably my favorite line in all of comics
So many people want to scoff at the notion of Hollywood having an agenda to emasculate the black man in film, but then you have shyt like this where, regardless of the image and the lore behind the character, they still manage to basically caption it as if he's in the back saying "Entertainment Weekly's Insulting Black Panther Cover Shows There's Still a Long Way to Go
You know Black Panther. I know Black Panther. But at this point, the average person out there in the world doesn't know Black Panther, even following actor Chadwick Boseman's brief live-action debut in the role in the recently released "Captain America: Civil War" trailer, which as of publication of this article has been viewed more than 40 million times on YouTube alone.
So landing on the cover of "Entertainment Weekly" -- which even in the waning days of print media reported a 1.8 million circulation in 2013, along with a robust online presence -- is a big deal for the hero. This week's EW cover, released online today, features Boseman, in costume between Chris Evans as Captain America and Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man (they're both unmasked, Boseman is not) promoting a cover story on "Civil War," which will introduce Black Panther to the Marvel Cinematic Universe before he goes on to star in a solo film set for 2018; the first Marvel film of the post-"Iron Man" era to star a Black superhero.
It lll sounds pretty good until you take a closer look at the cover -- Black Panther has a "Meow" dialogue prompt above his head (Cap and Iron Man remain diaogue-free). This is the copy EW went with when introducing the first Black superhero in mainstream American comics to the world at large: "The biggest Marvel movie yet introduces Black Panther. He's tall, powerful -- and has claws that a Real Housewife would envy."
Yes, one of the most historically significant characters in comic book history has been reduced to a joke -- twice! -- on the magazine cover where potentially millions of people (don't forget the multitudes who will see this cover in our nation's grocery stores and doctor's offices) will see said character for the first time. It's not fair to Boseman, an acclaimed actor set for the highest-profile role of a career that's already included some rather major roles (playing Jackie Robinson in "42," playing James Brown in "Get On Up"). It's not fair to the comics fans to whom Black Panther means a great deal in terms of progress and representation. It's not fair to comics in general, as it's yet another reminder that for a large part of the population, the medium is and will remain something to not take seriously at all costs. (And do panthers even meow?)
Sure, Marvel has a lot of characters that invite having fun. "Guardians of the Galaxy," "Ant-Man" and even "The Avengers" have some inherent absurdity in their concepts, and the films reflect that. But specifically, Black Panther is a serious character -- he doesn't really crack jokes, and he's the super-smart, super-capable king of an African nation. As CBR columnist Joseph Illidge put it just this week in THE MISSION, "Black Panther exists in a unique category of heroes. That of the intellectual, wealthy ruler. He is a symbol of the Black male heritage, accomplishments, and aspirations. The Black Panther is the antithesis of the demonization of the American Black man, perpetuated by various parties in media and government institutions." Both jokes in EW's cover copy emasculate a character that represents Black success; the end result is problematic and oddly tone-deaf.
Jokey cover copy is a trademark of "Entertainment Weekly" -- I'm a subscriber and have been a reader since I was in elementary school. I don't think there was any negative intent on the magazine's part, and I'm sure the actual article pays the character due respect. But there's also a responsibility, here. This is the first Black superhero in American comics, and the first Black superhero to headline a film in the massively popular Marvel Cinematic Universe and this is the way that likely millions of people will see the character for the first time. Maybe save the jokes for the sequel?
HEEYYYY" to Cap and Stark. 
with that bullshyt
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Birnin Zana
Honorary Wakandan
So many people want to scoff at the notion of Hollywood having an agenda to emasculate the black man in film, but then you have shyt like this where, regardless of the image and the lie behind the character, they still manage to basically caption it as if he's in the back saying "
AyBrehHam Linkin
First Black Brehsident
So many people want to scoff at the notion of Hollywood having an agenda to emasculate the black man in film, but then you have shyt like this where, regardless of the image and the lie behind the character, they still manage to basically caption it as if he's in the back saying "
and the shyt at the top too about Creed was
Roman Brady
Nobody Lives Forever
panther looks dope but lol at them being like keep your mask on Chadwick, no one knows who the fuk you are breh
Salute to the breh
OG_StankBrefs
Da Spice...
So dey put dat bullshyt as caption next to T'Challa but not da otha two?
fukkin phaggits.
fukkin phaggits.