MCU's first Oscar winner, 'Black Panther,' completes three years
MCU's first superhero film with a black lead completed three years yesterday. Black Panther had released worldwide on February 16, 2018, and Marvel celebrated the landmark venture on Twitter by sharing a montage of on-set images of the cast of the film. The behind-the-scenes photos, clicked by star photographer Elie 'Visionelie' Kimbembe, opened the floodgates of emotion for many, fans and the actors, alike.
Three years ago today. #WakandaForever
— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) February 16, 2021
📸: @VisionElie pic.twitter.com/zqBPniiYXu
Soon, #WakandaForever started trending on Twitter as actors, fans and cosplayers shared their throwback images related to the film. Lupita Nyong'o, who played Nakia in the film, shared images of herself with late actor Chadwick Boseman and other castmates in what seems to be like a promotional tour of the film. Comic nerds also tweeted panels showing T'Challa with the infinity gauntlet.
Unforgettable. Three years since #BlackPanther. #WakandaForever. pic.twitter.com/VBXfEBbv9r
— Lupita Nyong'o (@Lupita_Nyongo) February 16, 2021
The film broke many records and has an almost-perfect Rotten Tomatoes rating of 96%, followed by Iron Man with 94% and Logan with 93%. It grossed over $1.3 billion worldwide, and became the biggest solo superhero movie ever by beating Iron Man 3's unadjusted $1.215 billion worldwide earnings. This Ryan Coogler directorial also became the biggest grossing movie from a black director.
This Disney-owned Marvel Studios' venture was the first superhero film to ever get the Academy Award nod. Black Panther got nominated in seven categories, including best picture. It won three: Original score, costume design and production design, making it the first MCU film to win.
Notably, Boseman left an indelible mark as T'Challa and became a global phenomenon. Hence, his untimely demise due to stage-4 colon cancer on August 28, 2020 brought a permanent pall of gloom. Shockingly, none of his colleagues or MCU higher-ups knew of Boseman's battle against cancer, and his death put the fate of the blooming franchise in complete disarray. But he won't be recast/replaced.
Boseman's co-star Michael B. Jordan celebrated his legacy by putting an Instagram post this month about the former's four posthumous SAG nominations. "Still setting the bar higher," Jordan remarked, adding, "Miss you big homie." Appearing on The Graham Norton Show, Daniel Kaluuya aka W'Kabi said, "We're gonna have to honor him." Meanwhile, Black Panther 2 will release after the first film's fourth anniversary.
