First, apologies for being late this week with this column! I was up in Maryland at the Farpoint Star Trek convention, talking Trek as well as some comics.
One of the best-attended panels was about the upcoming Marvel Black Panther film, due to be released this weekend!
I’m hoping it will be a big success, revive the character’s comics, and also improve the company’s diversity.
MY CONCERNS
Let’s talk about my concerns first, and get them out of the way.
I’ve been less than happy with Marvel’s recent crop of films, including Ant-Man, the second Guardians movie and Spider-Man Homecoming.
I’ve been told many times that I’m just not the best Marvel fan if I don’t think all these movies aren’t the cream of the crop.
Sorry! I just find the direction and the storytelling rather pedestrian, not very interesting and rather slow-moving, making me long for the door. Especially that last one! Yikes!
So when I see Marvel on the top, I get somewhat concerned as a result. We’ll see what happens, though.
I’m also kind of unhappy that Stan Lee continues to get bit parts. I’d rather he moved on.
MY HOPES
On the other hand, my friends who know things about show biz keep telling me that Marvel kept their “greedy little” fingers off Black Panther. I sure hope that’s true!
Let Black Panther be Black Panther, I kept hearing fans say in the panel. Don’t make him Spider-Man or Iron Man or anyone else. There are enough top stories about the King of Wakanda that would shine if they don’t shackle T’Challa to some of the worst parts.
Personally, I hated it when they made Black Knight a Christian warrior determined to convert everyone in sight to his religion. That’s NEVER been what the Black Knigtht has been before! I hope they forgot all that!
It’s nice to see the cast being pretty diverse. I like the way the CW is handling Black Lightning the same way. It’s nice to have different races represented.
I’m hearing that that first weekend should take in at least $170,000,000 or so. That’ll help T’Challa out a lot, I think.
GIVE CREDIT TO KIRBY, TOO
I’ll never forget that first time Black Panther appeared in Fantastic Four. It was an amazing forward-thinking culture in a continent not known for such at that time. It was also a time when that very name was being used by a street gang, so I was concerned.
Maybe T’Challa has outlived all that?
Black Panther has been all around the world, been a member of the Avengers, and been helpful to the rest of the planet by sharing his technology.
I haven’t heard whether Storm will be in the movie or not, but I bet some of you readers can share that info. I’d like to see it, but it might be nice to hold that back for a while.
As much as Stan Lee gets his name in Marvel films, it would be excellent to see Jack Kirby get more of the credit he deserves, in my opinion. I sure hope they do that this time!
What do you think? Is the time right or Black Panther? Will it be like the other Marvel movies, or stand on its own? Whatever your opinion, please share your thoughts in the space below!
