Marvel‘s Black Panther was the center of attention when it came out and still is the talk with fans already making theories about how Killmonger could return for the sequel. But as fans wait for more news, all they can do is watch Marvel content already available on Disney+.
However long it may take for new information to come out, it’s true that Marvel loves leaving Easter Eggs everywhere and posters are not an exception. Therefore, here are 10 hidden details folks missed in the Black Panther poster.
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A Mix Of Modern & Traditional
The unique feature of Wakanda as a country is that it combines the traditions of its people and the modern technologies that progress brings. You could say it is kind of like the MCU version of Japan. This mix of modern and traditional and their symbiosis is reflected in the poster.
The design on the back looks metallic and has all of these different geometric shapes. However, we can see different patterns that are also present in traditional African clothing. The characters are also dressed in clothes that are closely related to traditional ones rather than being entirely modern.
Writings On The Walls
Though Wakanda is a fictional country, the movie has characters speaking in a language they call Wakandan. Unlike Dothraki and Valyrian languages that were developed for Game of Thrones, Wakandan is actually the real-life Xhosa language which is one of the official languages in South Africa closely associated with the fight against white colonizers.
On the poster, you can see writings on two metallic panels located on two sides of the poster just next to the panthers. These writings are supposedly in Wakandan. Whatever is the case, they definitely look cool.
Panthers On The Sides
Next to the panels with the writings, you can see identical panther statues on the two sides of the poster. On another poster, you can also see the huge panther statue from Wakanda and T’Challa standing on top of it.
These panthers are a callback to the name of the movie and T’Challa’s suit as well as the title of Black Panther that he gets with wearing the suit and being the protector of Wakanda. The panther is also a sacred animal in Wakanda as it represents the goddess, Bast. In Egyptian mythology, there was a goddess named Bastet who appeared in the form of a black cat very similar to a black panther.
Nakia’s Outfit
As mentioned before, the characters on the poster are dressed in clothes that resemble traditional African clothes despite having a modernized design (except for Klaue and Agent Everett Ross). However, there is one more peculiar detail about their outfits.
All of the characters who eventually join the fighting in some way in the movie are dressed in their battle clothes (so, only Ramonda and Zuri have civil clothes), but Nakia isn’t, even though she does join the battle. Instead, she is wearing the dress she had on when they went out to find Klaue. This could indicate that she is the one trying to find a more peaceful way of addressing problems as she does in the movie.
M’Baku Is Not There
For one reason or another, Winston Duke’s character M’Baku is not on the poster. But if you saw the movie, you know that he plays a very important role in it. He was the one who found and rescued T’Challa and then joined forces with him to overthrow Killmonger.
Nevertheless, this character has a dark history with T’Challa. Their clans were rivals from the very beginning back when the meteorite fell onto Wakandan land and they discovered Vibranium. Maybe this is why M’Baku is not given as much attention at the start.
Klaue’s Arm Is Hidden
Klaue is one of the few characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe who lost his arm and now has to wear a prosthetic or cybernetic one instead to make up for it. Other such characters include Steve Rogers’s best friend Bucky Barnes and Gamora’s sister Nebula.
However, unlike Bucky and Nebula, Klaue seems to be constantly trying to hide the fact that he doesn’t have an arm. Bucky’s and Nebula’s artificial arms are visibly made of metal, but Klaue’s is specifically designed to resemble a real human arm despite hiding a deadly weapon inside it. On the posters, Bucky’s and Nebula’s arms are usually visible, but Klaue’s arm on the Black Panther poster is hidden.
Geometric Shapes
As mentioned earlier, Wakanda combines modern and traditional ideas in itself, and the poster reflects that. One of the most prominent associations with technology is the geometric shapes present. From circles to triangles and rhombuses, the poster is full of them. You can also notice a similarity with the poster to Thor: Ragnarok as they both have a huge circle on them.
But these geometric shapes are present in other elements too. African clothes and specifically Wakandan clothes some of the characters are wearing have triangle patterns on them. The writings on the panels with the Wakandan language are also more angular than the Latin alphabet most viewers are used to.
Location Of Characters
With the absence of M’Baku already nagging you in the back of your head, it is important to point out the location of characters or rather their positions on the poster. The main star, Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa, is obviously at the center and top of them all, but the male characters are on the left while the female ones are on the right.
The main antagonist of the story, Killmonger, is almost as big as T’Challa even though Klaue starts as the main villain of the movie. W’Kabi, T’Challa’s very close friend is surprisingly small compared to other characters and his wife Okoye. However, we later see him practically betray T’Challa which is probably one of the reasons why he is so far from him on the poster and so small too.
Wakandan Buildings
Even though Wakanda lives in harmony both with traditions and technology, it also manages to have a balance with its natural parts including rainforests and mountains. Yet, this side of Wakanda is not represented on the poster – the buildings are.
At the bottom of the poster, we can see Wakandan buildings that probably come from its capital where our characters mostly reside. At the same time, we could say that the panther statues balance out the buildings and the “modern” aspect with their natural, “traditional” origins.
Dark Blue Tones
The most interesting is the color palette used in the poster for Black Panther. The dark blue tones are nicely complemented by the grey, metallic panels and the dark skin of most of the characters. But such a tendency can’t be attributed to most Marvel posters nowadays.
If you look at the latest MCU movies like Ant-Man and the Wasp, Captain Marvel, and Avengers: Infinity War, you will see that they have bright red, orange, and yellow tones. The dark blue and grey tones were mostly used in Marvel’s older movies such as Thor: The Dark World, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and Avengers: Age of Ultron. MCU’s recent movies are much lighter and have more comedy compared to the older ones. Black Panther is a more serious movie like the older installments in the universe which is probably the reason for the blue.