On Feb. 16, Marvel Studios released a groundbreaking film that changed the superhero movie genre forever. Marvel’s Black Panther (2018) is the first big budget superhero movie to feature an African-American as the lead.

  The film follows T’Challa (Black Panther) as he returns to the fictional African Nation of Wakanda to claim the throne of king. It is there he must defend his title and protect the countries precious natural resource, vibranium, from the rest of the world.

  The character made his first appearance in Captain America: Civil War (2016) and fans have been anxious to see him in his own movie ever since. They were not disappointed with the newest film edition to the Marvel cinematic universe (MCU).

  Fans expected this film to be great, but were surprised just how great it was. Black Panther’s villain in particular received a lot of praise for his plot against the hero.

  One of the best things this movie had to offer was it’s villain. A hero is only as good as his villain, and Erik Killmonger challenges T’challa both physically and morally.

   Killmonger, played perfectly by Michael B. Jordan, serves as T’Challa’s fierce rival for the throne. Killmonger is so great because he is a sympathetic, tragic villain. The audience understands his pain and why he chooses to act the way he does.

  He represents the oppressed African-American community, not just another bad guy who wants to rule everything. His message is strong, and T’challa eventually reconsiders Wakanda’s policies on foreign countries and changes his own ways.

  Audiences flocked to theatres to see the King of Wakanda take the throne.

  The film broke records its opening weekend, earning $370.5 million worldwide. This makes it the 15 largest earning movie during its premiere. The film was the second most anticipated film of all time according to Fandango.com, only behind another Marvel movie; Avengers: Infinity War (2018).

  The film was so popular that theatres worldwide were sold out two weeks before the film even premiered according to Fandango.com.

  All this buzz around the film is important because of the character’s historical significance within the world of comics. Black Panther was the first comic book to feature an black superhero.

  The character debuted in issue number 52 of Fantastic Four back in 1966. There have been multiple attempts to have the character appear on the big screen, such as an attempt in the 90s by movie star Wesley Snipes, but with no films being produced.

  It was only through the success of the MCU that Marvel was finally able to give the character a movie that captures his true nature.

  The film did have a few problems. It had ocasional awkward pauses between dialogue. The movie also had a somewhat confusing arc for the archenemy Killmonger.

   Despite these issues, the film more than makes up for it in action, humor, and black pride. Overall Black Panther was fantastic, with some calling it the best movie Marvel has produced.