All hail King T’Challa (#WakandaForever), “Black Panther” is out in cinemas now.
Like all the amazing blockbuster hits from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, “Black Panther” has plenty of Easter Eggs, with references to other entries and secret backstories. As you may know, the storyline takes place a week after events of “Captain America: Civil War”. As a result, the world is still reeling from the incidents that took place.
If you haven’t watch “Black Panther” yet, be warned that there are plenty of spoilers in this article. Otherwise, let’s go over the teeny-tiny details you may have missed out while watching the movie.
1. Father and son in real life
During “Captain America: Civil War”, we witness the tragic death of King T’Chaka (played by John Kani). At the beginning of “Black Panther”, we see a younger version of T’Chaka (who visits Oakland in the ‘80s to confront his sibling). The younger version T’Chaka is portrayed by Atandwa Kani, who also happens to be the real-life son John Kani.
2. Killmonger’s mask
Remember the tribal mask Erik Stevens, or better known as “Killmonger”, steals from the British museum? It’s the same horned, hair-rimmed mask he wears when breaking Klaue from CIA custody. According to writer Andrew Dyce, the mask is a clever throwback to not one but two comic designs – namely, Christopher Priest’s “Black Panther” comic and “Black Panther #37”.
3. The golden necklace
When Shuri shows T’Challa a few necklaces to choose from, he went with the black and silver design because it’s a little more inconspicuous. As you may know, the Black Panther suit spreads out the necklace. The golden necklace is eventually worn by Killmonger, which is a perfect copy from the comic book version.
4. Stan Lee’s cameo
Stan Lee wasn’t in Wakanda during “Black Panther” (he probably would’ve stick out too much) but the Marvel legend was appeared during a sequence in Busan, South Korea. Shortly after T’Challa confronts Everett Ross in the casino, the king of cameos shows up to claim the free chips at the roulette table.
5. A reference to the Sanctum Sanctorums in “Doctor Strange”
When Killmonger took over the throne in Wakanda, his immediate plan was to wage war by sending out technology and weaponry out into the world. Although most War Dog spies were hesitant to cooperate, three locations had spies loyal to Killmonger. They were New York, London, and Hong Kong. Coincidence? We think not.
As MCU fans would know, those three different cities are strongholds of mystical energy. They also act as Earth’s Sanctum Sanctorums. So what’s the connection between “Black Panther” and “Doctor Strange”? We don’t know yet, but the “Avengers: Infinity War” trailers already indicate that we’ll see the remaining Sanctum Sanctorums.
6. The kid from “Moonlight”
At the end of the movie, a certain aircraft was seen hovering in Oakland. A young coloured kid gets the last line when he ask T’Challa who he is. That nameless youngster is played by Alex R. Hibbert, the same actor who portrayed the youngest version of the main character in Barry Jenkins’ Oscar-winning movie, “Moonlight”.
7. Is Bucky Barnes returning as White Wolf?
When Everett is taken to Wakanda after being critically injured, Shuri says he’s “another broken white boy to fix”. It’s no surprise then, when Bucky Barnes shows up in the final post-credits scene. He’s all fixed up now and is referred to by the Wakandan children as “White Wolf”. It’s a name given to outsiders who enter Wakanda. In the comics, the White Wolf eventually becomes T’Challa’s most trusted soldier.
Notice the red and blue clothing Bucky is wearing when he wakes up? It seems Shuri may have predicted his role as the future Captain America.
8. Everett Ross’ connection to “Captain Marvel”?
Martin Freeman’s Everett K. Ross is expected to return to the MCU in the near future. In speaking with Den of Geek, the 46-year-old Brit gave a little tidbit about Marvel’s upcoming plans on his CIA Agent character. “They introduced me in Civil War and said there would be a couple of other films, one of which was Black Panther,” he said.
It’s been speculated that Everett could show up in “Captain Marvel” since it was revealed that he used to be in the Air Force. As you may know, Captain Marvel’s origin story will revolve around Carol Danvers where she’s not only a skilled flier but also a member of the Air Force during the 1990s.
Were you intrigued by any other Easter Eggs while watching “Black Panther”? Let us know in the comments section below.
Sources: Screen Rant, Highsnobiety.
