Last week, Marvel unveiled theBlack Panther trailer, giving fans a look at T’challa (Chadwick Boseman) of Wakanda before the standalone superhero adventure hits theaters on February 16. Fans got their first real look at T’challa and his iconicBlack Panthercostume in last year’sCaptain America: Civil War. Today we have new concept art that shows how T’challa’s costume could have looked a bit different. While the design is ultimately quite similar to the final costume, there are certainly some subtle differences.
As he is often known to do, concept artistAndy Parkshared this piece of artwork on Twitter earlier today, which shows a more streamlined and simplified design than the costume we first saw inCaptain America: Civil War. While the Black Panther claws seem to be quite similar to the final design, there are no silver spikes around his neck, and the costume doesn’t feature any of the other silver lines on theBlack Panthersuit and mask, with the suit accentuating T’challa’s muscular physique. This design is also much different than anotherBlack Panther costume designthat Andy Park shared last July, afterCaptain America: Civil Warhad hit theaters.
What’s interesting is that the revamped costume that we saw in the trailer andBlack Panther posterseems to be a hybrid of sorts, between theCaptain America: Civil Warsuit and this concept art. The new costume for theBlack Panthermovie seems to accentuate his physique more, particularly his abs, although in a much more natural way than Andy Park’s artwork. This new design is more straight-forward, without an abundance of lines throughout the suit as we see in Andy Park’s art and in theCaptain America: Civil Warcostume. Still, the early artwork from Andy Park showcased T’challa’s physique in a more abstract way.
The one thing that remained unchanged from the finalCaptain America: Civil Warcostume and theBlack Panthermovie costume are the silver spikes that resemble teeth, which are placed around the neck ofT’challalike a makeshift necklace. We learned in bothCaptain America: Civil Warand this new trailer that the suit is laced with vibranium, the virtually indestructible metal that is Wakanda’s chief resource, and is the same material that Captain America’s shield is made from. While his suit isn’t mechanical and bulky likeIron Man, the trailer shows that machine gun bullets bounce right off of him.
Black Pantheris set after the events ofCaptain America: Civil War, with T’challa returning to his homeland ofWakanda, to serve as his country’s new leader after the murder of his king and father, T’chaka (John Kani). Upon arriving home, though, T’challa learns that there are several factions that are trying to tear his country apart from within, which leads T’challa to team up with the CIA’s Everett K. Brown (Martin Freeman) and the Wakandan special forces group known as the Dora Miljae, to prevent this conflict from spreading any further. Take a look at Andy Park’s early concept art for theBlack Panthercostume below.
