Rumors have circulated about a Black Panther movie for years. In fact, I remember sitting in sophomore literature class in 1990 and hearing friends talk about how a magazine had hinted Marvel looking at options for a Black Panther movie. Here we are 23 years later still talking about the opportunity the House of Ideas has with the character. There are, though, distinct disadvantages to creating the movie.
I am hoping for a Black Panther movie
Wakanda
Being that T’Challa comes from a mythological land on “our” planet, people might have an issue relating. People can understand how they might not be able to relate to Asgard or Krypton because they are off in “yonder” and not of our world. People would have a more difficult time relating to a land which has religion and traditions which we would relate to a third world country but the technology or a country advanced ahead of the United States. This relation gap would have to be dealt with in a Black Panther movie.
Dryness
One of the issues with a potential Black Panther movie is the same type of issue Marvel will face with a potential Doctor Strange movie. Both characters are dry when compared with the witty superheroes we are used to in the movies. If Marvel makes T’Challa as witty as say, Iron Man, old fans will become upset with the commercialization of the character. If Marvel does not make the character witty enough, fans who do not know the character from comics will be disappointed.
Hate to Say It
I hate to say it, but one of the issues with a Black Panther movie will be that people who are alien to comics will believe the character has a movie because he is Black. The trendy people who go to the latest superhero movie and have never stepped into a comic book store will discount the history (which they don’t know) of the character and gain a preconception that the Black Panther has a movie because of the color of his skin and not the content of his character. This would be the greatest disconnect fans could have with a Black Panther movie, but you know it will happen.
Personally, I hope to see a Black Panther movie in the future. He is one of the most underrated superheroes in the Marvel roster and he needs to be more at the front than he is. Hopefully, Marvel can overcome these obstacles and give us the movie we deserve.
