The First Black Panther Teaser Is Here, and It’s Spectacular

Hero. Legend. King.

Black Panther is here, as promised, and the film’s first teaser, which aired during the NBA Finals last night, is shot through with the exhilaration of a new world: Wakanda.

“Tell me something … what do you know about Wakanda?” asks a menacing Andy Serkis, reprising his Age of Ultron arms dealer character Ulysses Klaue. Martin Freeman’s CIA operative Everett Ross knows very little, it turns out—as does the average moviegoer, which is part of what makes this first look at Black Panther’s world such a thrill.

The teaser is fast-paced and visually dazzling, suggesting an eye-popping whirlwind in the vein of the Guardians of the Galaxy films in particular, but with badass swagger in place of Guardians’ mischievous charm. And it’s set to Run the Jewels’ “Legend Has It,” which could not be more perfect. “Step into the spotlight, woo!” El-P commands, and Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa is more than happy to oblige.

Ryan Coogler’s film, which he cowrote with Joe Robert Cole, stars Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Freeman, Daniel Kaluuya, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker and Serkis. (Go ahead and pick your jaw back up.) Black Panther’s stacked cast is nicely emphasized in the teaser—fervent fans will be doing plenty of pausing to spot each individual on its carousel of characters.

Black Panther hits theaters on Feb. 16, 2018, which suddenly feels like ages away. Watch the first teaser above, and find Marvel’s full plot summary for the film below.

Marvel Studios’ Black Panther follows T’Challa who, after the death of his father, the King of Wakanda, returns home to the isolated, technologically advanced African nation to succeed to the throne and take his rightful place as king. But when a powerful old enemy reappears, T’Challa’s mettle as king—and Black Panther—is tested when he is drawn into a formidable conflict that puts the fate of Wakanda and the entire world at risk. Faced with treachery and danger, the young king must rally his allies and release the full power of Black Panther to defeat his foes and secure the safety of his people and their way of life.