Although it did set up Bucky Barnes’ involvement in Infinity War, Coogler chose to sideline him in favor of Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa.
Black Panther may be taking the box office by storm, but that hasn’t stopped many people asking, “Where has Bucky Barnes been all this time?”
The 18th MCU movie should neatly lead us into the upcoming Avengers: Infinity War; though without the reveal of the final Infinity Stone, Black Panther carved its way as more of a standalone than just a Thanos prequel movie.