Black Panther: Questions Answered (With Spoilers

This article comes from Den of Geek UK.

Marvel movies are steeped in lore, both their own internal lore and that borrowed from the comics. So it is that you may come out of their movies wondering whether you missed something, or didn’t get a reference you were supposed to. Black Panther is no different. As ever, we’re here to try and answer any questions you might have.

Spoilers ahead!

When does this movie take place?

The bulk of the movie (aside from flashbacks) is set exactly one week after the events of Captain America: Civil War, so 2016. If you’re the sort of person who plays close attention to timelines then you’re in trouble because the MCU’s chronology is already in tatters. But this movie probably comes immediately after Civil War and before Doctor Strange, Spider-Man Homecoming, and Thor: Ragnarok. Though Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, which came out after Doctor Strange, was mostly set well before it. Confused? Justifiably.

How does the heart-shaped herb give people powers?

A blink-and-you’ll-miss-it line of dialogue (er, if you blink loudly and you’ll miss it) states that the Vibranium that fell to Earth in Wakanda seeped into the ground and affected the soil and plant life, generally working its way into the ecosystem. The heart-shaped herb’s powers can therefore be assumed to be a side-effect of vibranium ingestion or vibranium-caused mutation.

Why did Killmonger have a glowing symbol inside his mouth if he wasn’t born in Wakanda?

Rather than being born with those symbols, those are probably tattoos made using some form of Vibranium – therefore, it’d be fairly easy for Killmonger’s father, who had a ready source of Vibranium, to give his son the tattoo he needed to prove he was of Wakandan origin.

What was Killmonger’s father plotting?

After being radicalised by the deprivation and racism inflicted on black communities in the US, Killmonger’s father planned to share Wakandan weaponry with the oppressed people of the world in the hope that it might even the balance somewhat. Interestingly, T’Challa sort of does do this at the end of the movie, so in a way his uncle got his way – though through more peaceful means.

Did Klaue actually die?

You might think it was pretty clear but at least two people I was with in my screening had to be reminded that yes, although it cut away from Killmonger shooting Klaue initially, we did see a corpse in the body bag later on, so there’s no ambiguity about his death. At least, no more than with the average Marvel movie…

Did Ross survive the destruction of Shuri’s lab?

The last shot of Ross in the final battle shows him running for the exit shortly before the lab’s windows fail and it explodes. If you leave the movie when the credits roll you can be forgiven for thinking he straight up died in that explosion. However, wait around for the first post-credits scene and it’s clear that he did indeed survive the attack, because he’s hanging around at the back of a room as T’Challa addresses delegates from other countries.

Who is the White Wolf?

If Black Panther is your first Marvel movie then you might not realise who the ‘White Wolf’ is in that second post-credits scene. In case it needs explaining, the White Wolf is Bucky Barnes, a man who was Captain America’s best friend when the two were growing up in New York. Lost during a mission in World War 2, Bucky was captured by Hydra and brainwashed to be the perfect assassin. Cryogenically frozen and thawed out only rarely to kill specific targets (including Tony Stark’s parents) he encountered Captain America again in the present day. When his programming was re-activated, Cap saved him, and Bucky voluntarily submitted to Wakanda’s advanced technology in the hope that he could be cured. The implication from the final post-credits scene is that this has happened.

Is Vibranium anything to do with the Infinity Stones?

If you’re watching Black Panther hoping for a hint of the sixth and final Infinity Stone, you’re pretty much out of luck – at least for the moment. There’s no implication in either this movie or the comics that Vibranium has anything to do with the Infinity Stones. That’s not to say it couldn’t be revealed somewhere down the line that the huge Vibranium meteorite that landed in Wakanda hides an Infinity Stone at its core, but right now there’s no suggestion of it.

Are the heart-shaped herbs gone forever now?

Probably not. Admittedly Killmonger burned the immediate supply of them, but it’s more likely that this was to prevent anyone else getting powers to challenge him while he cemented his rule. I wouldn’t be surprised if a future movie shows Wakanda regrowing herbs from a previous supply and/or foraging for a wild version to replenish their garden. Though who knows? Maybe the lack of herbs will be a plot point in a future movie?

Let us know any more questions you might have in the comments…