The first trailer for the MCU rendition of the famed Black Panther superhero comic book character seems to have separated itself from the other Marvel fanfare that has hit theaters or is coming soon to theaters. The almost comedic fall from grace for Thor and the upcoming teenage adventure thrillride for Spider-Man look decidedly bright and campy compared to the darker and more treacherous tone that Marvel has setup for Black Panther.
The first trailer is only two minutes long but it’s really well done. Also, it doesn’t give a way a darn thing. That’s how a trailer should be!
You can check it out below courtesy of KinoCheck International.
Veteran actor Andy Serkis really sets the mood for the trailer by making the Black Panther come across as a feared and dangerous individual.
We had glimpses of what he could do when he made an appearance in Captain America: Civil War (which admittedly seemed more like an Avengers movie than a solo superhero flick). But here we seem to get the impression that the Black Panther is a bit of a larger-than-life myth within the African region, as Serkis’ character describes the uncanny abilities of the would-be king of Wakanda.
Michael B. Jordan seems to be the underhanded foil of a villain, coming across similar to the likes of what the Ocean Master is to Aquaman. I really hope they don’t dumb down Jordan’s role similar to how they stole the thunder out from under Jeff Bridges in the original Iron Man. Marvel has a tendency of under-utilizing their villains or under developing them. Zemo was one of the only villains who had a legitimate plan and carried it out in a way that was believable for the character.
Hopefully Serkis isn’t under-utilized either because his Ulysses Klaue was definitely under-utilized in Avengers: Age of Ultron but here this trailer seems like it gives him something really meaty to sink his teeth into.
There’s a heck of a lot of potential for the movie, and the darker tone they’ve taken with the trailer could help breathe some life into a rather stale MCU formula.
Movie goers will have a long-arse wait ahead of them, though. Fans won’t be able to lay eyeballs on the finished product until February 16th, 2018.
