Phase Three of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is officially over, and the latest slate of films certainly didn't disappoint. Every single installment in the Phase Three has been a critical and financial success, although Avengers: Endgame's box office domination is particularly impressive. The Russo Brothers' massive blockbuster is the highest grossing movie of all time, bringing back the dusted characters from Infinity War in an epic fashion. But why was Black Panther one of the first heroes that was revealed?
Ahead of Avengers: Endgame's release on DVD and Blu-ray, The Russo Brothers have been doing plenty of press to help drum up excitement. In addition to doing interviews and videos, the co-directors recently participated in a Reddit AMA to provide answers to the rabid fanbase. This includes the reasoning behind Black Panther's timing in the final battle. As Joe Russo explained:
We spent a lot of time in the edit room playing around with the sequencing of the portals. We probably didn't lock that section of the movie until about a month before the film was in theaters. We always wanted Sam to be the first one to communicate with Cap via his comm and Sam was last in Wakanda, so logically the first portal that would open would the Wakandan portal. And the first person that would logically walk through a portal from Wakanda would be the king himself, bringing his army once again to the defense of Cap and the world.
Well, that all makes sense. It seems that T'Challa's entrance into Avengers: Endgame's final battle was mostly due to his proximity to Anthony Mackie's Falcon/Sam Wilson. Tons of heroes turned to dust on the Wakandan battlefield during Infinity War, so they were the first to appear via the magical portals in Endgame.
Joe Russo's comments on Reddit further show just how methodical the writers and directors of Avengers: Endgame approached the massive blockbuster. Every single frame was fully thought out, especially the ones that have already become iconic since the movie hit theaters in April. The portals scene is one of the most magical and exciting sequences of the entire MCU, so they needed to be perfected in development and editing.
After facing off against Thanos solo, a beaten down Captain America was shown as the lone soldier against the Mad Titan and his forces. But the tables turned with Steve Rogers got a communication from Sam Wilson, repeating his iconic 'On your left' line. Falcon flew through a portal, and he was quickly followed by the Wakandan trio of T'Challa, Okoye, and Shuri.
Putting Black Panther back on the field so early made narrative sense, but it was also an exciting moment for fans. Ryan Coogler's Black Panther was a pop culture phenomenon when it was released, and its denizens have quickly become fan favorites. So bringing the characters to the battlefield of Endgame was a particularly exciting moment, followed by the rest of the Avengers assembling for the biggest battle in MCU history.
Avengers: Endgame will be available on DVD and Blu-ray on August 13th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
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