Following yesterday’s reveal of new images from Black Panther, Marvel has unveiled a series of character portraits that offer a closer look at the main characters featured in T’Challa’s solo superhero film. The photos not only show off the heroes and villains of Wakanda, they also highlight the details of their gorgeous costumes, which reflect director Ryan Coogler’s vibrant and exciting new corner of the MCU.

Entertainment Weekly debuted several character portraits from
Black Panther as part of their extensive lead up to
Comic-Con, which hits San Diego next week (I know, I’m not ready, either). You can check out a few of those images below, but you’re definitely going to want to head over to EW for the rest:

The portrait series was photographed by Kwaku Alston and showcases several of the film’s primary cast members, giving us a closer look at their costumes along with a few details about their respective characters — including Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa, Lupita Nyong’o’s Nakia, Danai Gurira’s Okoye, Daniel Kaluuya’s W’Kabi, Letitia Wright’s Shuri, Forest Whitaker’s Zuri, Angela Bassett’s Ramonda and, last but not least, Michael B. Jordan’s Erik Killmonger.

As MCU fans are well-aware, Captain America’s shield is made from Vibranium, the fictional super-metal found in Wakanda — so it’s not surprising that it’s part of Black Panther’s costume; that much we already knew, but EW’s feature reveals that Vibranium is actually woven into the fabric itself. Here are a few more interesting details from the piece:

  • Nakia is a top Wakandan spy who often works undercover. Nyong’o describes her as “very practical, but,” she says, “she doesn’t compromise her style.”
  • As previously revealed, Okoye (Gurira) is the head of the Dora Milaje, an elite team of women tasked with protecting T’Challa. Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige confirms what we assumed based on the first trailer: “Danai Gurira is going to steal every scene that she’s in.”
  • Shuri (Wright) is T’Challa’s sister, an inventive genius who creates weapons with Vibranium, including the totally sick gauntlets on her hands.
  • And finally, there’s the villain Killmonger, played by Jordan, who previously worked with Coogler on Creed and Fruitvale Station. Killmonger represents a different sort of attitude about Wakanda and its potential, making him more complex than your typical one-dimensional villain.

With Comic-Con just a week away, we’re bound to learn even more about the wonderful new world of Wakanda, and given everything we’ve seen so far, I cannot wait. Black Panther hits theaters on February 16, 2018.

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