Marvel Cinematic Universe kicked off its Phase 3 in high gear with the debut of Black Panther in the "Captain America: Civil War" trailer.
"Captain America: Civil War" picks up from the massive destruction in Sokovia as seen in the "Avengers: Age of Ultron." In "Civil War," the Avengers will be divided into two factions led by Captain America (Chris Evans) and Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.).
Marvel Studios' president Kevin Feige told Collider that they needed a third party to come in between the two characters. He said they wanted a character that audiences are not familiar with, and after various deliberations, Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) became the obvious choice.
In the comics, T'Challa a.k.a Black Panther is the crown prince of an advanced African nation called Wakanda. Black Panther's hometown has been teased in the "Avengers: Age of Ultron" with the appearance of Ulysses Klaw.
Wakanda is home to vibranium, the super strong alloy used to construct Captain America's shield.
Black Panther's connection to the conflict in "Captain America: Civil War" is yet unknown. However, Black Panther is looking for The Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) in pursuit of a vendetta. However, that this does necessarily mean that he is on the side of Tony.
Speaking to EW, executive producer Nate Moor said, "He's someone who hasn't necessarily made up his mind about either side and whose agenda isn't exactly what Cap's agenda or what Tony's agenda is."
As for his suit and powers, Black Panther wears a vibranium uniform and wields some advanced equipment made in Wakanda. He is a trained martial artist with genius-level intellect and brute strength.
"Captain America: Civil War" opens on May 6, 2016 while "Black Panther" is scheduled to premiere on Feb. 16, 2018.