Black Panther (film)

This article is about the 2018 superhero film. For other films with the same name, see Black panther (disambiguation) § Other films.

Black Panther
Theatrical release poster
Directed byRyan Coogler
Written by
Based on
Produced byKevin Feige
Starring
CinematographyRachel Morrison
Edited by
Music byLudwig Göransson
Production
company
Distributed byWalt Disney Studios
Motion Pictures
Release dates
  • January 29, 2018 (2018-01-29) (Dolby Theatre)
  • February 16, 2018 (2018-02-16) (United States)
Running time
134 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$200 million[2][3]
Box office$1.35 billion[4]

Black Panther is a 2018 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is the 18th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The film was directed by Ryan Coogler, who co-wrote the screenplay with Joe Robert Cole, and it stars Chadwick Boseman as T'Challa / Black Panther alongside Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman, Daniel Kaluuya, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, Sterling K. Brown, Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker, and Andy Serkis. In Black Panther, T'Challa is crowned king of Wakanda following his father's death, but he is challenged by Killmonger (Jordan), who plans to abandon the country's isolationist policies and begin a global revolution.

Wesley Snipes planned to make a Black Panther film in 1992, but the project did not come to fruition. In September 2005, Marvel Studios listed a Black Panther film as one of ten films based on Marvel characters intended to be distributed by Paramount Pictures. Mark Bailey was hired to write a script in January 2011. Black Panther was officially announced in October 2014, and Boseman made his first appearance as the character in Captain America: Civil War (2016). Cole and Coogler had joined by then, with additional casting in May. Black Panther was the first Marvel Studios film with a Black director and a predominantly Black cast. Principal photography took place from January to April 2017 at EUE/Screen Gems Studios in the Atlanta metropolitan area, and in Busan, South Korea.

Black Panther premiered at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on January 29, 2018, and was released theatrically in the United States on February 16, as part of Phase Three of the MCU. Critics praised its direction, writing, acting (particularly that of Boseman, Jordan, and Wright), costume design, production values, and soundtrack, but some criticized the visual effects. Many critics considered the film to be one of the best in the MCU and it was noted for its cultural significance. The National Board of Review and the American Film Institute named Black Panther one of the top-ten films of 2018. It grossed over $1.3 billion worldwide and broke numerous box office records, becoming the highest-grossing film directed by a Black filmmaker, the ninth-highest-grossing film at the time of its release, the third-highest-grossing film in the U.S. and Canada that year, and the second-highest-grossing film of 2018.

Black Panther was nominated for seven awards at the 91st Academy Awards, winning three, and received numerous other accolades. It was the first superhero film to receive a Best Picture nomination, and the first MCU film to win an Academy Award. A sequel, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, was released on November 11, 2022, and a third film is in development. An animated series, Eyes of Wakanda, will be released in August 2025 on Disney+. A live-action Disney+ series set in Wakanda is also in development.

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