The King of Wakanda goes toe-to-toe with the God of Thunder in this next MCU Madness tournament matchup. Black Panther was one of the top cultural movie events of the last decade, while Thor was a movie that helped build the MCU on the ground floor. Two royalties looking to navigate the decisions of their fathers. Will the Phase Three darling take down one of the MCU's originals? Vote down below!
Released: 2018
Director: Ryan Coogler
Phase: 3
Box Office: $1,346,913,161
Synopsis: After the death of his father, T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman) returns home to the African nation of Wakanda to take his rightful place as king. When a powerful enemy (Michael B. Jordan) suddenly reappears, T'Challa's mettle as king -- and as Black Panther -- gets tested when he's drawn into a conflict that puts the fate of Wakanda and the entire world at risk. Faced with treachery and danger, the young king must rally his allies and release the full power of Black Panther to defeat his foes and secure the safety of his people.
Pros: It seemed like fans realized the importance of Black Panther even before it hit theaters. This film surpassed even the wildest of expectations as not only a cultural milestone in film, but a damn good movie - and its seven Oscar nominations certainly helps its case. Introducing the world of Wakanda and one of the MCU's best supporting cast, this movie is a legitimate front-runner in this tournament.
Cons: T'Challa was introduced to audiences in a big way in Captain America: Civil War. And while we got to see an emotional range and conflict from the character then, some feel that does not carry over into his solo film. There are fans that feel T'Challa is upstaged by his counterpart in the movie, Killmonger. And while he is undoubtedly one of the elite antagonists in the MCU, he falls to that classic MCU origin movie trap of just being an evil Black Panther with his skillset.
Released: 2011
Director: Kenneth Branagh
Phase: 1
Box Office: $449,326,618
Synopsis: As the son of Odin (Anthony Hopkins), the king of the Norse gods, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) will soon inherit the throne of Asgard from his aging father. However, on the day that he is to be crowned, Thor reacts with brutality when the gods' enemies, the Frost Giants, enter the palace in violation of their treaty. As punishment, Odin banishes Thor to Earth. While Loki (Tom Hiddleston), Thor's brother, plots mischief in Asgard, Thor - now stripped of his powers - faces his greatest threat.
Pros: In Phase One, fans were still getting used to the whole end-credit scene game that Marvel Studios plays so well. After Nick Fury promised us the Avengers at the very end of Iron Man, it was the sight of the Mighty Mjolnir at the end of Iron Man 2 that confirmed the superhero universe living between pages for decades was finally being woven together on screen . And that is the essence of the first Thor movie. Seeing The Realm Eternal, The Allfather, the Bifrost and The Warriors Three. MCU's first run at cosmic action introduces us to a world outside our own in a great way.
Cons: Thor is a victim of its own source material and also what we have come to learn of this character's potential. While the main strength of this movie is the world it brings to light, its biggest weakness is how quickly we jump out of that arena. It feels like this movie could have gone with a bolder approach to better show off the most likeable apects of this character and the supporting cast.
Other Round 1 Matchups:
#10 Doctor Strange vs. #23 The Incredible Hulk
#11 Spider-Man: Homecoming vs. #22 Captain Marvel
#12 Spider-Man: Far From Home vs. #21 Captain America: The First Avenger
