Where to watch Black Panther
Disney Plus is the US home for Black Panther, along with nearly every other Marvel Studios film. Outside the US the picture changes by country, so check the watch box on this page for current options where you live. The film runs 135 minutes, a bit over two and a quarter hours, which makes it an easy single-evening watch. If you are planning a longer run, the sequel and the animated spin-off are on the same service.
| Detail | Black Panther |
|---|
| US streaming | Disney Plus |
| Runtime | 135 minutes |
| Story year | 2016 |
| Watch first | Captain America: Civil War |
| Phase | Phase 3, Infinity Saga |
| Our rating | Essential |
Black Panther in the watch order
The story is set in 2016, only about a week after the events of Captain America: Civil War. That is why story-order lists put it right after Black Widow, which also takes place in the wake of Civil War, and before Spider-Man: Homecoming.
In release order it is a Phase 3 film that reached theaters in February 2018, a couple of months before Avengers: Infinity War. Both orders agree on the main point: see Civil War first. That film introduces T'Challa, explains why he is suddenly king and shows him in the suit for the first time. Our Marvel Phase 3 in order guide lays out the full phase if you want the surrounding films too.
What it is about (spoiler-free)
T'Challa returns home to Wakanda to take the throne. To the outside world, Wakanda looks like a poor farming nation. In truth it is the most technologically advanced country on Earth, built on a hidden supply of vibranium and protected by centuries of secrecy.
Taking the crown means facing a ritual challenge, and the first real test of his reign comes soon after. An arms dealer who stole vibranium years ago resurfaces, and with him comes Erik Killmonger, an American soldier with a personal claim on Wakanda and a very different idea of what the country should do with its power.
Black Panther explained: the question at its heart
Underneath the car chases and ritual combat, the film asks something simple and hard: should a nation that could help the world keep hiding from it? Wakanda's isolation has kept it safe and wealthy, but it has also meant ignoring people who needed help. Killmonger is frightening because his anger has a real point, even if his answer to it is brutal.
T'Challa's arc is about choosing a third way between his father's secrecy and Killmonger's conquest. That is the moral most viewers take away: strength means little if you only use it to protect yourself. It is also why the film still gets discussed long after the action fades.
Black Panther post-credit scenes
Stay through the credits, because there are two extras. The mid-credits scene shows T'Challa making a public decision about Wakanda's place in the world, a direct answer to the questions the film raises. The end-credits scene checks in on Bucky Barnes, who was left in Wakanda's care at the end of Civil War, and quietly prepares his return in Infinity War. Neither scene spoils the main plot, and both are worth the wait.
Why it is essential
On our list Black Panther is essential, and it also appears in our essential Marvel movies and shows guide. Wakanda plays a major part in Infinity War, and you will understand its leaders, soldiers and technology far better after this film. Shuri, T'Challa's sister, becomes especially important later, and the story continues in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and the animated Eyes of Wakanda.
Cast and characters
Ryan Coogler directs. Chadwick Boseman plays T'Challa with a calm authority that defines the character. Michael B. Jordan is Killmonger, often ranked among the strongest villains in the MCU. Lupita Nyong'o plays Nakia, a spy and T'Challa's former partner, and Danai Gurira is Okoye, general of the Dora Milaje. Martin Freeman returns as CIA agent Everett K. Ross, and Daniel Kaluuya plays W'Kabi, T'Challa's friend and a leader of Wakanda's border tribe.
Boseman died on 28 August 2020, at the age of 43, from colon cancer. He had kept the illness private since his diagnosis in 2016 and made his Marvel films while undergoing treatment. Marvel did not recast T'Challa; his final performance in the role is his voice work in What If...?, and the sequel was made in his honor.
