<P> 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 eighteenth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The film is directed by Ryan Coogler, who co-wrote the screenplay with Joe Robert Cole, and 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, Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker, and Andy Serkis . In Black Panther, T'Challa returns home as king of Wakanda but finds his sovereignty challenged by a long - time adversary, in a conflict with global consequences . </P> <P> Wesley Snipes expressed interest in working on a Black Panther film in 1992, but the project did not come to fruition . In September 2005, Marvel Studios announced a Black Panther film as one of ten based on Marvel characters and distributed by Paramount Pictures . Mark Bailey was hired to write a script in January 2011 . Black Panther was announced in October 2014, and Boseman made his first appearance as the character in Captain America: Civil War (2016). By 2016, Cole and Coogler had joined; additional cast joined in May, making Black Panther the first Marvel film with a predominantly black cast . Principal photography took place from January to April 2017, at EUE / Screen Gems Studios in the Atlanta metropolitan area, and Busan, South Korea . </P> <P> Black Panther premiered in Los Angeles on January 29, 2018, and was released theatrically in the United States on February 16, 2018, in 2D, 3D, IMAX and other premium large formats . The film received praise for its visuals, screenplay, characters, direction, performances, costume design, soundtrack, and action sequences . Critics considered it as one of the best films set in the MCU and noted its cultural significance . It has grossed over $763 million worldwide, making it the highest - grossing film of 2018 . Its four - day opening weekend gross of $242.2 million in the United States was the second - highest of all - time and its three - day gross of $202 million was the fifth highest of all time, as well as the biggest debut by an African - American director . </P> <P> Centuries ago, five African tribes war over a meteorite containing vibranium . One warrior ingests a "heart - shaped herb" affected by the metal and gains superhuman abilities, becoming the first "Black Panther". He unites all but the Jabari Tribe to form the nation of Wakanda . The Wakandans use the vibranium to develop advanced technology and isolate themselves from the world by posing as a Third World country . </P>

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