The narrative regarding the African nation’s relationship with the rest of the planet is impressively sophisticated in a blockbuster package, and Michael B. Jordan’s Erik Killmonger, equipped with understandable and powerful ideology, is arguably Marvel’s greatest villain to date.
After 10 years of franchise-building and 17 films, you’d think that Marvel Studios would struggle at this point putting together effective introductory solo films.
The movie is not only a remarkable exercise in world-building – introducing audiences to the remarkable land of Wakanda – but also very much has something important to say, and says it compellingly.
The truth, however, is that they’ll keep being successful so long as the studio continues to hire filmmakers with vision – and that’s exactly what they did bringing in writer/director Ryan Coogler to make Black Panther.