Marvel’s Black Panther moves with super-speed, and fights with enhanced strength. Now, we know how Captain America gets his powers, and of course Thor was born with his… so what about T’Challa? How does the Prince of Wakanda get his own superhuman abilities that help him stand toe-to-toe with The Avengers? Speaking to EW, both Black Panther director Ryan Coogler and Marvel’s Kevin Feige go into detail on the unique way T’Challa gains his strength:
“The Heart-Shaped Herb is how Black Panther achieves his powers. He can fight hand-to-hand with Cap, who’s a super soldier, so he has super strength and heightened instincts that give him his enhanced abilities.”, says Feige. Ryan Coogler then goes on to explain that the Heart-Shaped Herb is a right of passage: “The Heart-Shaped Herb is what Black Panthers over the generations would consume, once they earn the title, which gives them their physical edge.”
From everything seen, and heard about the movie so far, it sounds like the theme of family runs very deep in Black Panther… all the way down to the character’s powers.
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After the events of Captain America: Civil War, King T’Challa returns home to the reclusive, technologically advanced African nation of Wakanda to serve as his country’s new leader. However, T’Challa soon finds that he is challenged for the throne from factions within his own country. When two foes conspire to destroy Wakanda, the hero known as Black Panther must team up with C.I.A. agent Everett K. Ross and members of the Dora Milaje, Wakandan special forces, to prevent Wakanda from being dragged into a world war.
Black Panther sees Ryan Coogler (Creed) directing Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa alongside Lupita Nyong’o (Star Wars: The Force Awakens) as Nakia, Michael B. Jordan (Fantastic Four) as Erik Killmonger, Danai Gurira (The Walking Dead) as Okoye, Winston Duke (Person of Interest) as M’Baku, Forest Whitaker (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) as Zuri, Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out) as W’Kabi, Angela Bassett (American Horror Story) as Ramonda, Florence Kasumba (Captain America: Civil War) as Ayo, Martin Freeman (Captain America: Civil War) as Everett Ross, Andy Serkis (Captain America: Civil War) as Ulysses Klaue and Letitia Wright (Ready Player One) as Shuri. The film is set for release on February 16th, 2018.
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Originally published June 10, 2017. Updated November 30, 2022.
