Black Panther has brought to life a new chapter of the Marvel Cinematic Universe that's refreshing,
innovative, and full of compelling characters.
It also helps pave the way for Marvel's next on-screen adventure with Avengers: Infinity
War in a few key ways.
Let's take a look at how Black Panther sets the stage for the third Avengers extravaganza.
A new smartie
The MCU is built upon a sturdy foundation of super-geniuses, including Tony Stark and
Bruce Banner, two men of science who are responsible for much of the technology and innovation
that makes the super-heroics of Marvel possible.
Heck, Tony's dad Howard is another great Marvel genius, and one of the men responsible for
the creation of Captain America.
In the wake of Black Panther, though, there's a new smartest kid on the block… and we
mean "kid" in the most literal sense.
Shuri, T'Challa's 16-year-old sister, has now been established as the smartest person
in the MCU, which means she'll have the edge on innovation from here on out.
And who knows.
Maybe she'll get to cross paths with Peter Parker, the other teen genius of the MCU.
"Whoo!
Let's go!"
A new shield
Captain America's original shield was forged from vibranium, which meant it could withstand
bullets, explosions, and everything else his foes threw at him.
But at the end of Civil War, Tony Stark demanded he return the shield that his father had designed,
and it's unlikely he'll pick it back up before the Infinity War.
However, since he's taken refuge in Wakanda, T'Challa is going to be pinching off another
piece of vibranium to make Cap a new shield before the big battle begins.
"And get this man a shield."
And from the looks of the Infinity War's trailer, he's gonna like it.
"Let's go."
Bucky is back
One of the other significant cliffhangers at the end of Civil War is the fate of Bucky
Barnes, the former Winter Soldier and Cap's best friend.
While he's begun to remember his past after being brainwashed by Hydra, some of his programming
still remains.
The film ends with him going into cryogenic slumber to wait it out while a cure is developed.
Black Panther's second post-credits scene provides some resolution with the revelation
that Bucky is back — only now he's going by Shuri's nickname for him, "White Wolf."
Considering he's shown sporting a new arm in the teasers for Infinity War, there's a
good chance he'll have Shuri to thank for the spiffy prosthesis.
The Soul Stone
Most of the Infinity Stones have been found in the Marvel Cinematic Universe so far, except
for the Soul Stone.
With Black Panther marking the last film before Infinity War, many have drawn the conclusion
that the Soul Stone may be hiding away in Wakanda.
It's been suggested that the stone may lie in the heart of the massive vibranium deposit
under Wakanda, granting the metal its multitude of special abilities.
From the previews, it looks like Thanos is going to pay the once-hidden nation a visit
in Infinity War, so what else would bring him into town but the bauble he's been after?
Ready to fight
Between its various tribes, the Dora Milajae, and Black Panther himself, Wakanda is a military
force to be reckoned with.
Its policy of isolation has kept it from war with the outside world, so we've yet to see
what a collective Wakanda would look like in battle.
The film's climax gave us a peek at this, but even then we were only seeing a couple
of tribes and the Dora Milajae.
Of course, the trailers for Infinity War have given us some hint as to how massive a full-scale
Wakandan army might be.
And in the wake of Black Panther, the nation's policy of isolationism has ended, so they'll
now be sharing their technology and resources with the world, which means Earth's defenses
just got a lot more promising.
The Wakandan weaponry in Black Panther is shown to be second to none, heavily utilizing
vibranium and the technology Shuri and her team have built around it.
With an entire lab full of toys Shuri has designed, and an alien invasion coming their
way, Wakandan vibranium weaponry will be a must for the team and may end up being the
only reason our heroes stand a chance against Thanos.
A new team leader
One of the cool things about the MCU's Avengers is that they really do seem to function as
a sort of miniature democracy.
Of course, that team dynamic has significantly shifted in the wake of Civil War, and it looks
like Infinity War will bring even more changes to the group.
One seems all but certain: If T'Challa joins the Avengers, there may be a new sheriff in
town.
It's not that T'Challa will install himself as the team's benevolent dictator or anything,
but more likely, since he's a literal king, he probably isn't going to be taking a subordinate
position as an Avenger.
It seems far more likely that we'll see him step up and take on the responsibility of
leadership for the new Avenger refugees.
And who knows?
Maybe he and Iron Man will become equals in head honcho status.
Either way, don't expect him to be relegated to coffee runs.
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