The astronomical success of Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther notwithstanding, Marvel turned to their bulging vault and picked up the 2010 animated television series on the African superhero to re-release on YouTube, and moreover, for free.
Produced by Marvel Knights Television, the series although chronicles T’Challa’s coronation as the king of Wakanda whilst also tracing the rich history of the fictitious African kingdom, it differs slightly from its live-action equivalent. Whilst we had Eric Killmonger trying to upset the applecart with his sinister schemes in Coogler’s adaption, here, Klaw, the murderer of T’Challa’s father, is the pantomime villain who then goes on to form a league of outlaws featuring Juggernaut, the Vatican Black Knight and Russian Radioactive Man to name a few.
And even if the series doesn’t feature some of the pre-eminent characters of the film such as Nakia and Dora Milaje leader Okoye, the fans do get to witness another healthy dose of shenanigans from T’Challa’s impish sister Shuri, who’s voiced by Golden Globe nominated actress Kerry Washington.
A six-episode series, Black Panther: The Animated Series also shows the titular character crossing paths with fellow Avenger Captain America, as well as with X-Men’s Storm, who for the record, is an African descendant.
The Chadwick Boseman-starrer resonated with the fans world over, grossing over $1 billion in net collections and breaking several box-office records. But with Marvel’s animation show on the hero resurfacing and also free for viewing, the Black Panther fans have another reason to cheer.
All the episodes can be streamed on Marvel’s official YouTube handle, Marvel Entertainment.