Here's Everything You Need To Know About 'Black Panther' Before You See It

On Feb. 16, Black Panther finally hits theaters, and it's one of the most exciting movies to come out, well, ever. If you're not a Marvel superfan, in order to get the full effect from the new movie, you should probably do a little bit of research before seeing it. After all, you need to make sure you know exactly what to look out for when you head to the theater. Here's everything to know about Black Panther going in, because it will be unlike any superhero movie you've ever seen.

To start with, the titular Black Panther, played by Chadwick Boseman, is not just a superhero. He's also a king and a religious icon named T’Challa, king of Wakanda, aka the avatar of the Panther God. As you probably know from the Black Panther trailer, Wakanda is a fictional African nation that, according to Polygon, is the "most technologically advanced nation in the world." That fact, however, is a secret that is kept hidden from the world with cloaking technology.

Though Black Panther doesn't entirely take place in Wakanda, its premise centers around the fictional nation and its extraordinary technological resources. Threatening Wakanda is a super villain named Killmonger, played by Michael B. Jordan. Killmonger is a Wakanda native, though he grew up in exile because of his father's support of an evil scientist, Ulysses Klaue, aka Klaw (Andy Serkis). Klaue had already attempted to steal Wakanda's mines, and though he didn't succeed in that, he killed T'Challa's father, T’Chaka, before being captured. In Black Panther, Killmonger and Klaw join together to attempt to take down T'Challa.

Now you know the general plot of Black Panther, but there's so much more to learn about the epic film before you see it for yourself.

Kendrick Lamar Produced The Soundtrack

One of the songs from the soundtrack, called "All the Stars," has already been released. If it's any indication about what the rest of the movie will sound like, everyone's in for a real treat. The song features SZA, and both she and Lamar flaunt their talents, making a super cool sound that you'd probably listen to even if it weren't featured in the year's most exciting movie. The entire soundtrack will probably be equally as good, so make sure to pay attention to the songs playing while you watch Black Panther.

The Movie Has Amazing Female Characters

While the main characters of Black Panther are T’Challa and Killmonger, the movie is packed with women who are more than ancillary characters. That's partly due to Wakanda's team of special forces made up of all women, aka the Dora Milaje. Okoye (played by Danai Gurira) is the leader of the Dora Milaje, and Lupita Nyong'o's character, Nakia, is also part of the group of badass women. This means that the action-packed fight scenes in Black Panther will not be left just for the men, as a clip aired at San Diego's Comic-Con showed the women fighting off criminals attempting to trade Vibranium (the magical material in Black Panther's suit).

In Black Panther, the female characters don't only show physical power, either; their intelligence is also an asset. T’Challa’s younger sister, Shuri (played by Letitia Wright), is a super-genius who helps advance Wakanda's technology. According to Collider, Black Panther's producer Nate Moore called Shuri "the smartest person in the world, smarter than Tony Stark." In addition, Angela Bassett's Ramonda, the Queen Mother of Wakanda, also plays a big role in influencing the way her son reigns over the country.

With a great hero/villain divide, awesome female characters, and a mind-blowing soundtrack, Black Panther has all of the qualities to make it one of the best Marvel movies ever. Not to mention the gorgeous setting of Wakanda and the fact that the cast is almost entirely made up of Black actors — probably the most important thing to know about it. Oh yes, there are plenty of reasons why everyone is hyped about Black Panther, and why this movie is bound to be huge.