Black Panther: 10 Reasons Why It's The Most Important Marvel Film Yet
5. It Shows That Representation Matters
With Marvel always saying that their universe was meant to represent the world outside our window, you could be forgiven for thinking that their comics have always reflected the diversity in that world. Sadly, that's not always been the case in the medium, and certainly not in the MCU until now, but more projects like Black Panther, like Jane Foster's Thor, Ms. Marvel and Captain Marvel are going far in making up for lost time.
Black Panther is by no means the first comic book film to feature a black lead, or the first to set a milestone in the genre (it's worth mentioning that, had it not been for the Wesley Snipes film, the genre as it now exists wouldn't be), but it is important in a great deal more respects. The entire cast is led by men and women of colour, which is so important - especially in a world where marginalised groups have so often been cast in supporting roles in predominantly white Hollywood features.
The sheer hype and emotion accompanying Black Panther's release should make clear what this film means to so many different people, and while rumours of a cut LGBT* romance are frustrating (and emblematic of Marvel's films as a whole now, taking into account Thor Ragnarok's depiction of Valkyrie), that doesn't take away from the film's salience.