BLACK PANTHER: EW's New Cover Celebrates The Marvel Movie's Historic Best Picture Oscar Nomination
Yesterday, Ryan Coogler's Black Panther made history yet again when it was nominated for Best Picture at this year's Academy Awards. Now, Entertainment Weekly pays tribute with a T'Challa-centric cover...
Most of us figured it was wishful thinking, but yesterday we found out that Marvel and director Ryan Coogler's highly acclaimed Black Panther had been nominated for Best Picture at the 2019 Academy Awards.
This means T'Challa's first solo adventure has once again made history by becoming the first superhero movie to land a nomination in this all-important category. The film also picked up noms for Best Costume Design, Original Score, Production Design, Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, and Orignal Song.
To celebrate, the cover of EW's Oscars special features both the hero of the title (Chadwick Boseman) and the Black Panther mask he dons to inhabit his superhero alter-ego.
The issue also features a terrific write-up from Mark Bernardin, which you can check out HERE.
Take a look at the cover below, and if you fancy a reminder of all of Black Panther's standout moments, you'll also find a spoiler breakdown.
To view the list in its entirety, simply click on the VIEW LIST (ONE PAGE) button below!
Killmonger Burns The Heart-Shaped Herbs
As we all pretty much figured anyway, Black Panther quickly confirms that the source of T'Challa's enhanced abilities are the mysterious heart-shaped herbs/flowers - but that might be a bit of a problem for The King (and indeed, his successor) moving forward.
Once Killmonger ascends to power he orders that the entire herb garden be burned. Nakia does manage to rescue one plant, but it's heavily implied that all the others are lost.
So, they can just cultivate more.. right?
That's certainly possible, but it's suggested that this would be no easy task. Will the last plant T'Challa took allow him to maintain his powers or is it something that will need to be replenished?
Say Goodbye To Klaw
Andy Serkis has a ball playing the bonkers Ulysses Klaue here, but unfortunately, his screen-time is short lived. Once Killmonger has what he needs from the villain, he guns him down and drags his corpse to Wakanda as a trophy.
After his memorable debut in Age of Ultron, most fans assumed that Klaw would have a much larger role here, and while he obviously does have more than once scene, his part is little more than a glorified cameo.
Disappointing? Perhaps - but there's only so far you can take a character like this, and he was never going to trouble anyone as a principal antagonist.
Killmonger Has A Legitimate Claim To The Throne
Something else that a lot of fans guessed from the film's various trailers and TV spots was that Eric "Killmonger" Stevens would have much closer ties to Wakanda than we'd previously been led to believe, and as it turns out, he has a legitimate claim to the crown.
Over the course of the movie we find out that Killmonger is actually T'Challa's cousin (more on that later), and makes his way to Wakanda to challenge his blood relative for the right to sit on the throne.
Things don't exactly go according to plan, but Killmonger does (briefly) get to be the King.
Still No Sign Of The Soul Stone
All signs pointed (and still do) to the Soul Stone being under the protection of the Wakandans, but there's no sign of the Infinity Gem in this movie.
Some have speculated that the stone may be the source of the heart-shaped herbs' power, ultimately giving T'Challa and his people the ability to crossover into the spirit realm to visit their ancestors. This is a solid theory, but remains unconfirmed by the time the credits roll.
Still, the Infinity War trailer makes it very clear that Thanos invades Wakanda for something, and chances are it is indeed that final gem.
T'Chaka Kills His Own Brother
The prologue introduces is to a younger T'Chaka and a mysterious Wakandan spy that turns out to be his brother. Because we don't know this at the time, the scene actually comes across a little flat (especially for an opening sequence), but later on we find out why it's so significant.
T''Challa's uncle had betrayed the King and was selling vibranium to their enemies.
In another flashback, we see that T'Chaka is forced to kill N'Jobu when he draws his gun on Zuri. When T'Challa find out the truth he begins to see his father in a different light, and ultimately decided to break tradition and take Wakanda in a whole new direction.
Killmonger Kills Zuri
Those events lead directly to another shocking moment, and the only major heroic character's death.
When Killmonger is about to land a killing blow to T'Challa during their Warrior Falls fight, Zuri steps in. The guilt-ridden holy man reminds Eric that he is the one that abandoned him as a boy after his father's death, and begs him to take his life and spare his cousin's. Killmonger obliges, mercilessly stabbing his "Uncle James" through the chest.
T'Challa Decides To Share Wakanda's Resources With The Rest Of The World
Black Panther's mid-credits scene has been criticized by some who were hoping for something a bit more exciting or revealing, but it actually has major ramifications for the MCU moving forward.
Inspired by the events that transpired in Wakanda, T'Challa decides to publicly announce that his vibranium-rich homeland will share its resources with the rest of the world. We have seen how powerful vibranium can be as a force for both good and evil, so this opens up a lot of different possibilities for numerous heroes and villains as we move ever closer to Phase 4.
Queen Nakia?
Diverging somewhat from her comic book origins, Nakia is introduced here as a former lover of T'Challa who has since become a Wakandan spy. However, it's very clear that The King is still smitten with his ex and wants her back by his side.
Towards the end of the movie, the two reconcile and it's implied that Nakia will return home, but will she be T'Challa's queen?
It's certainly something that could be explored in the sequel and would open up some intriguing story possibilities, as Nakia actually suits-up as the villainous Malice in the comics.
Bucky Appears To be Free Of Hydra's Influence
The post-credits scene reintroduces Bucky Barnes, a.k.a. "The White Wolf", who is has been de-iced and is recovering under the watchful eye of Shuri, who tells Sgt. Barnes that there's much more he needs to see.
Though it's not spelled out here, earlier in the movie it's strongly implied that Shuri has used vibranium-tech to flush Hydra's influence out of Bucky's mind, which means he'll no longer be susceptible to brainwashing via trigger words.
Great news for The Winter Solder, but does this detract from the complexity of the character somewhat?
Killmonger Dies
Black Panther finally introduces another truly memorable villain... and then kills him off.
Bringing their showdown to an end, T'Challa manages to stab Killmonger, mortally wounding his rival. The two men then sit and watch the sunset as T'Challa offers to heal his cousin. But Eric would rather die than spend his life behind bars, and delivers a powerful final speech before removing the blade and succumbing to his wound.
Yes, it is a shame that we won't be seeing any more of Killmonger - however, sparing him would have robbed us of his emotional "free from bondage" last words and greatly diminished the weight of the ending overall.
What do you guys think? Did we miss anything out? Be sure to let us know in the comments down below.
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