Black Panther Teaser Trailer Revealed

"Hero. Legend. King." Marvel Entertainment has revealed the first look at its upcoming superhero flick Black Panther. And boy, is it intense. 

The teaser aired during Game 4 of the NBA Finals on Friday night, and opened on a scene between Martin Freeman's character Everett Ross and Andy Serkis' Ulysses Klaude. Chained up to a metal chair, Klaude asks Ross, "What do you know about Wakanda?" We're shown a seconds-long shot of a roaring waterfall as Ross explains that Wakanda is a third-world country that manufactures textiles, but Klaude states that the kingdom is a front for something much bigger, something explorers have likened El Dorado. 

What follows are scenes of Wakandan people bathing in blue-green waters and dancing along the waterfall's rock formations. Klaude explains that adventurers sought out the land, looking for it in South America, but "it was in Africa the whole time." He's the only one who has seen it, and made it out alive to tell the tale.

The clip then takes the viewer along a journey that starts with the epic introduction of Chadwick Boseman's T'Challa (better known as Black Panther) as he's showered with bullets and ends with an equally incredible car chase sequence. Freckled in the middle are glimpses at the Wakandan people, decked out in colorful clothing, massive ships that soar over buildings, and plenty of about-to-begin battles. 

Take a look at the Black Panther teaser trailer in the video above.

Black Panther centers on Boseman's T'Challa as he assumes a newfound position of power in the isolated but highly advanced African kingdom of Wakanda. Struggling to strike the balance between kingship and his role as the super-charged Black Panther, T'Challa's endurance is further tested as he attempts to protect his land from being ravaged by enemies. But when a long-forgotten foe remerges, T'Challa is pushed into an all-consuming conflict that puts the fate of his people, the land of Wakanda, and the entire world on the line.

Yet another entry into the expansive Marvel Cinematic Universe, Black Panther stars Lupita Nyong'o as Nakia, a member of T'Challa's guard, Andy Serkis as Ulysses Klaude, and Michael B. Jordan as the sinister Erik Killmonger. (How's that for an antagonist's name?) Sterling K. Brown, Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker, Daniel Kaluuya, and Danai Gurira round out the cast. 

Directed by Creed and Fruitvale Station helmer Ryan Coogler from a script he co-wrote with Joe Robert Cole, Black Panther has had fans and industry experts alike buzzing. Marvel Studios head honcho Kevin Feige described the film's lush cast as "the highest class" of actors the company has ever chosen, and journalists expressed their excitement after seeing a bit of "gritty" Black Panther footage a few months back. 

With the unveiling of this new teaser trailer, it looks like Black Panther will blend the weighty narrative with the classic charm the MCU has become known for. 

Black Panther is due out in theaters on February 16, 2018. In the meantime, brush up on your T'Challa knowledge by taking a look at the dark history of Black Panther.