How the 'Black Panther' post-credit scenes set up 'Avengers: Infinity War' (spoilers)
It’s really easy to spot a true fan when you go see the latest Marvel movie. They’re the ones who stay firmly in their seats when the credits start rolling.
Marvel Studios’ Black Panther – in UK cinemas now – continues the Marvel Cinematic Universe trend of offering up post-credit scenes, one at the credit mid-point and another at the end.
Here’s what they mean, and how they’ll play into Avengers: Infinity War…
WARNING: SPOILERS INCOMING
The first sees T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) hand-in-hand with Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) with Okoye (Danai Gurrai) and Shuri (Letitia Wright) arriving at the United Nations to give a speech to the rest of the delegates.
In the film, Nakia had urged T’Challa to share their knowledge and technology with third-world African nations but he had refused for fear of other more nefarious people using their vibranium for evil. After his battle with Erik Killmonger, and learning of the villain’s heritage, he chooses to reveal the truth about Wakanda’s technological advancements and wealth.
In his speech to the UN, the king explains that he will share his country’s knowledge so that they can come together for good and humanitarian purposes, though many in attendance are disbelieving of his claims, after all, they have been pretending to be a third-world developing country for decades.
This scene certainly sets up Avengers: Infinity War well as the rest of the world are sure going to need the help of Wakanda’s vibranium technology and weapons in order to have any sort of chance against Thanos and his alien army. We’ve already seen Black Panther share his tech with Captain America in the latest TV spot for the next movie.
Very different to Cap’s original round shield – made by Howard Stark using the only vibranium American forces had hold of – his new defensive weapons come in the form of gauntlets on his forearms, with one that can morph into a shield.
Some comic book fans are suggesting that this new shield is similar to the one Captain uses in Captain America: Steve Rogers, but it’s likely that he won’t be the only Avenger to benefit from some Wakandan tech.
Bucky will certainly be kitted out with some vibranium weapons as he’s been staying in Wakanda ever since Black Panther brought him back to his homeland, following the events of Captain America: Civil War.
The post-credit reintroduced the former Winter Soldier, who had been referred to earlier in the film by Shuri. It is she who has been looking after Bucky and helping to rehabilitate him after spending years as a HYDRA assassin. It seems he has a new moniker too as the young Wakandan boys in the scene refer to him as “White Wolf,” but he’s not currently using his bionic arm during his psychological recovery.
If you remember, HYDRA agents managed to brainwash Bucky into working for them and when he hears the ten trigger words in Russian (Longing, rusted, furnace, daybreak, seventeen, benign, nine, homecoming, one, and freight car), he would do their bidding.
In the comic book Avengers Infinity War Prelude #1, we learn how Shuri was able to help Bucky’s recovery. She says to her brother, “I’ve been running an algorithm that will be able to flush the influence of the trigger words out while retaining the core context and content of those original memories. Essentially, I should be able to reboot him.”
It obviously worked as we’ve seen Bucky among the heroes fighting against Thanos’ army in the Avengers: Infinity War trailer and he’s got a new arm too, no doubt made from vibranium and installed with a few upgrades to boot.
Black Panther is in cinemas now.
Avengers: Infinity War is in cinemas on April 27, 2018
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