BLACK PANTHER Covers Entertainment Weekly's SDCC 2017 Issue; New Story Details

Entertainment Weekly has released its cover for this week’s San Diego Comic-Con-themed issue, and the cover story is Marvel Studios’ Black Panther. The cover features T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman), Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan), and Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o). The issue also features a bunch of movie stills, along with new character and story details.

Executive producer Nate Moore calls Black Panther a comic book mashup of The Godfather and the James Bond franchise. “What I think we landed on was sort of a cross between James Bond and The Godfather. A big, operatic family drama centered on a world of international espionage. So hopefully we’re getting the best of both worlds.”

In Black Panther, Erik Killmonger is working with Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis) to remove T’Challa from the throne. As seen in Avengers: Age of Ultron, Klaue’s arm was ripped off by Ultron. Now, he has replaced that limb with a piece of sonic mining equipment from Wakanda. On top of that, there is unrest amongst the tribal leaders in Wakanda, fearing that T’Challa is making a mistake by working too closely with the outside world. Director Ryan Coogler says, “In this movie, a lot like politics, it’s a little tricky to define who’s [a good guy]. The film very much plays with those concepts, looking at conflicts and different motivations, and who’s with who.”

Coogler also explains what makes Black Panther different from other superheroes: he’s not just a “superhero,” but he’s a king and a politician. “What makes him different from other superheroes first and foremost is he doesn’t see himself as a superhero. He sees himself as a politician. That’s the first thing on his mind when he wakes up in the morning. ‘How am I going to fulfill my duties as king of this place?’” He adds, “He has to keep harmony between the tribes within his country, and that means managing expectations and doing things that are unpopular. At the same time, he is the protector of that nation.”

Nakia is a former lover of T’Challa’s. In this movie, she works as a covert agent for Wakanda. Nyong’o says, “Nakia is a war dog. She is basically an undercover spy for Wakanda. Her job is to go out into the world and report back on what’s going on.”

You can check out a lot more character details HERE, and you can click HERE to view EW’s gallery of exclusive Black Panther stills.

From Left to Right: Zuri (Forest Whitaker), W’Kabi (Daniel Kaluuya), Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan), Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o), T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman), Ramonda (Angela Bassett), Okoye (Danai Gurira), Shuri (Letita Wright)

Black Panther is scheduled to hit theaters on February 16th, 2018. The 18th installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe stars Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman, Daniel Kaluuya, Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker, and Andy Serkis. Ryan Coogler directs from a script that he co-wrote with Joe Robert Cole.