Marvel Studios released the new trailer for their highly anticipated Black Panther movie during the College Football Playoff National Championship on Monday night. Kendrick Lamar, who produced the Black Panther soundtrack, performed during the game’s halftime show. Immediately following his performance, the extended TV spot for the Marvel flick was shown which featured a new Lamar and Vince Staples song.
The movie stars Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa, king of the fictional country Wakanda, an African nation that possesses a rich supply of the resource vibranium. T’Challa becomes Black Panther to protect his secret technologically-advanced country. T’Challa is challenged as the leader of Wakanda by the supervillain Erik Killmonger, played by Michael B. Jordan.
Black Panther also stars actress Lupita Nyong’o as Nakita, Andy Serkis as shady arms dealer Ulysses Klaue, Danai Gurira as Okoye, Angela Bassett as Ramonda, Letitia Wright as Shuri, and Forest Whitaker as Zur. The film is directed by Ryan Coogler.
Coogler recently described the character of Killmonger to Fandango and explained what sets him apart from other Marvel supervillains. “I will say what makes him different–not from all Marvel villains, but I think a lot of Marvel villains–is that he has a real world sensibility to him,” he said. “I think it’s a benefit of having Mike as an actor, but he’s a character that I think will feel very familiar to audiences. I think Marvel has had villains who you can relate to, but I think even more than that, you feel like he’s of this world. He’s very grounded, I would say.”
Black Panther pounces into theaters on Feb. 16, and advance tickets are officially on sale now.
[Variety]