Black Panther Reviews: 10 Critical Reactions You Need To See

"Like Taika Waititi before him, Ryan Coogler gives the Marvel template a bold auteurist twist with an African extravaganza that packs a muscular intensity and challenges as much as it exhilarates." - Empire

"One of Black Panther’s biggest flaws is also one of its greatest strengths. It is odd to see a new MCU movie that deals with many of the same themes and ideas explored in Thor: Ragnarok just three months ago. But if part of the point of Black Panther is, like Wonder Woman (which also told a pretty standard superhero origin story), to debunk conventional wisdom about whose stories can be told in mega-budget fantasy pictures, then there is great value in a primal and universal story told about a man who looks like Chadwick Boseman as opposed to Chris Hemsworth." - Forbes

For the most part, Black Panther sounds like it will be a Marvel Cinematic Universe movie unlike any other, but there is another entry in the series that critics have drawn comparisons with: last year's Thor: Ragnarok.

Empire's Jimi Famurewa juxtaposed director Ryan Coogler to Ragnarok helmer Taika Waititi, pointing out that both filmmakers have brought a unique "auteurist twist" to the MCU, which is certainly a complement.

Meanwhile, Scott Mendelson of Forbes highlighted thematic similarities between the two films, notably the core concept of a royal contender making a play for a newly-vacated throne, though he was quick to point out that the focus on African characters differentiates the movie where it counts.

Being compared to Ragnarok, one of the best and most original additions to the MCU, is certainly no bad thing, but for all that it has in common with Thor's last solo outing, it seems like Black Panther will be a unique superhero experience in many ways.

Black Panther arrives in UK cinemas on 12 February.