Summary
Last year, EA made an announcement that perked up the ears of many interested in superhero games with the confirmation of aBlack Pantherproject in the works. Developer Cliffhanger Games, a new team under EA’s ownership, is currently in the process of craftingBlack Panther, and there are many questions surrounding the project.
It’s been an exciting time to be a fan of both Marvel and video games. Between the success ofInsomniac’sSpider-MangamesandMarvel Rivalsand theWolverinegame on the way, there are plenty of projects to look forward to. However, Black Panther is a character that has become increasingly popular through the years, thanks to his wonderful portrayal in the MCU by the late actor Chadwick Boseman, and the hero should make for a great video game protagonist.
Black Panther Has Some Great Source Material to Work With
Through the years, the character of the Black Panther has had some compelling storylines in Marvel Comics. There are decades worth of material to work with, but one of the best sources to inspireEA’s mysteriousBlack Panthergamecould actually come from a modern arc.
EA’s Black Panther Following the Coates Storyline Makes Sense
Award-winning author, Ta-Nehisi Coates, broughtBlack Panther: A Nation Under Our Feetto life, and it’s a great storyline for the character that also helped inspire Black Panther’s portrayal in the various Marvel movies he appears in, especially his stand-alone film.Coates' comic run first began in 2016, which is the same year Black Panther first appeared in the MCU, and this specific comic arc seems like the most likely version of the character to draw inspiration from.
A Nation Under Our Feetfollows T’Challa grappling with his feelings of inadequacy and the societal turmoil that has hit Wakanda. While being away from his kingdomwith the Avengers, a series of tragedies hit Wakanda that are blamed on T’Challa’s absence once he returns. He tries to rally the nation together, but the citizens band together to form an uprising in an attempt to form a coup against the king. The comic run is a fantastic look into power struggles and political strife while masked under the blanket of a superhero story. These themes would be fascinating to see explored through the lens of a video game, bringing a deeper layer to the story instead of it being a surface level superhero tale.
The character of Black Panther first appeared inFantastic Fourissue #52 in July 1966.
Exploring the Kingdom of Wakanda
As of now, EA’sBlack Panthergame is a complete mystery, despite its official confirmation. One of the biggest theories about the game at the moment is thatBlack Pantherwill be open-world, and the Kingdom of Wakanda is rife with potential. The Coates storyline really emphasizes Wakanda’s technological advancement, which presents some great opportunities for developers to play around with what that could be like in an open world setting. In the world of Marvel Comics, Wakanda is the most technologically advanced nation in the world, leaving nearly endless potential.
There are many questions surrounding upcoming Marvel video games right now. Although Insomniac’sWolverinegame suffered substantial leaks, there are plenty of planned Marvel games that have continued to be kept secretive, like Arkane’sBladeproject and therecently announcedMarvel 1943: Rise of Hydra, which also featuresBlack Panther. Despite Cliffhanger Games keeping things quiet at the moment, it will be intriguing to see what comic arcs the studio uses as inspiration.
