On February 16, history will be forever changed. Not as much as it should be, but it’s a step in the right direction. Wonder Woman proved that comic book movies have fallen way behind societal norms. Which is odd considering comic books used to be ahead of the times. With the release of the solo Black Panther movie, Marvel is stepping up to the plate in similar ways that DC did last year.
Joe Robert Cole, the writer of Black Panther, recently spoke on its significance. “Black Panther is a historic opportunity to be a part of something important and special, particularly at a time when African Americans are affirming their identities while dealing with vilification and dehumanization. The image of a black hero on this scale is just really exciting.” That race is still an issue in America, only supports the fact that there needs to be more diversity within the arts, especially through a form of entertainment that reaches millions of people every year.
At the same time, Black Panther is the 18th installment within the MCU. Which makes it open season for fandom memes. Because what would our superheroes be without some classic romper room laughter. And there isn’t an MCU character that ends up being exempt from them. Unless it was too vulgar to publish. From cute cat photo’s and martial arts skills to Deadpool logic, here are 20 hilarious Black Panther memes that only true fans are likely to understand.
20 Cat Play Time
The highlight of Captain America: Civil War was the introduction of Black Panther. His fight with Bucky elevated his status as a superhero rapidly, proving you don’t want to mess with Antarctic Vibranium claws. Not to be confused with adamantium which is found in Wolverine’s claws. Bucky tries to put up a good fight, but its safe to say this battle ended in a draw. Which says a bunch about Black Panther’s suit and abilities as a skilled fighter. Not to mention Bucky too. There aren’t many superhero’s in the MCU who can hold their ground against Black Panther. T’Challa has unlimited resources at his fingertips, along with being highly intelligent. If given enough time to prepare, he can easily take out just about any opponent.
19 Directors Cut
Following the dismal flop of the Justice League film, memes have been flooding the internet over the difference between Zack Snyder and Joss Whedon takes on movies. Good thing Ryan Kyle Coogler is at the helm for Black Panther.
Ryan Coogler wrote the screenplay for Creed (2015).
While Snyder has taken plenty of heat for his choice of colors and camera angles in the past, Whedon buried himself by trying to change what Zack started in Justice League. That Joss would turn Black Panther into a cute adaptation for the kiddies, isn’t that far off point. Snyder would nail the overall design, but he would likely make it too dark — eliminating the beautiful camera shots and colors we’ve seen in the Black Panther trailers. Coogler seems to have things well under control, which is good news for T'Challa and fans.
18 Into The Wild
For those who aren’t fans of the Jungle Book, Bagheera is a friend and mentor towards the main character Mowgli. He also happens to be a black panther. This cute cartoon meme has deep significance regarding T’Challa’s motivations as a character. Both seek to protect against those who would take for their own personal gain while looking out for others who are too weak to fight on their own. Bagheera is also highly intelligent, mature, and a logical thinker like T’Challa. The only thing missing from this creative meme is a Baloo. Where’s Clint when you need him? Although, Hawkeye might be a tad too whiny to fill the shoes of Baloo. Maybe Captain America instead? Having him singing “the bare necessities” while scratching his back with his shield might work.
17 Superhero Texting
The origin history of Black Panther and Vibranium is tight, especially when comparing it to Captain America and his shield. The tale begins with a massive meteorite, comprised of the sound-absorbing mineral Vibranium, and its collision with Wakanda.
Vibranium is practically indestructible.
Wakandan Vibranium is particularly cool, because it absorbs kinetic energy around it within itself. Because of this, it is practically impossible to destroy. But not completely impossible. If enough force were to smash it, the Vibranium would explode. And it would be a big bang too as all the stored energy would be released. Captain America in this meme is taken back over the amount of Vibranium T’Challa has at his disposal. Here he thinks he has a one-of-a-kind shield, whereas Black Panther uses it in anything from tech to armor.
16 List Of Accolades
Steve Rogers gives off the impression he is better than others because of his moral code and extended life. In this hilarious meme, he picks a fight with the wrong cat on the block. T’Challa doesn’t hesitate to knock Steve off his self-built pedestal, listing several accolades that Captain America could never achieve. To do this, he taps all the Black Panther source material from the comic books. From King of the Dead to an Oxford PHD graduate, T’Challa has Steve looking mighty sheepish. Not much is known yet regarding how the comic book stories will be woven into the solo Black Panther Marvel movie, but if we had to guess, Kevin Feige will likely keep much of the original material.
15 That's What She Said
Poor Clint. Hawkeye is the rear end of most Avengers memes, unable to catch a break. While fandoms take on his character might be cruel at times, the Avenger films haven’t helped his case one bit. Here he is seen trying to introduce himself to T’Challa as being an elite superhero, only to have Black Panther block his attack with ease while saying the now famous line “I don’t care.”
Better luck next time Clint
Thankfully Hawkeye won’t be in the Black Panther film, so we’ll just have to wait and see if he survives Avengers: Infinity War. But don’t underestimate him yet. Despite Clint’s lack of powers and weak appearance, he seems to have a knack for staying alive. Maybe Black Panther will be the one who ends up saving him.
14 Deadpool Logic
The greatest thing about Deadpool’s character is that he can always level the playing field. Wade Wilson isn’t impressed with flashy outfits or Vibranium technology. In fact, he likely isn’t impressed by anything PG-13 or lower. Deadpool is one of those characters who keeps the egos of others from getting too high. This hilarious and cute cartoon meme shows Wade Wilson spraying water on Black Panther like he was a cat being punished. T'Challa meanwhile, is appropriately sharpening his Antarctic Vibranium claws. Despite the damage Deadpool is likely to receive for his antics, he gladly continues like it’s another day at the park. Seeing Deadpool and Black Panther teamed up together would be amazing. Their personalities would provide endless humor while their skills would be unmatched.
13 Cat Fight
T’Challa isn’t the only cat in the house. Nakia is a Wakandan spy and a member of the Dora Milaje. She is also extremely good looking, enough so that her and T’Challa might have a thing going on. Okoye is a loyal protector of Wakanda and its king. She would lay down her life for Wakanda without a moment of hesitation. She is, however, also loyal to Wakanda’s ancient ways and belief system. In other words, she’s not very good with change. Shuri is T'Challa’s sister and the Princess of Wakanda. She’s an innovator who created much of Wakanda's modern technology and is the one assigned to delete HYDRA’s programming from Bucky’s mind. Lastly, there is Ramonda, the Queen Mother, and wife of T'Chaka.
12 Everybody Be Kung-Fu Fighting
You’re not a true Kung-Fu fan if you don’t know Black Panther’s martial arts skills. Rated as having a better technique than Iron Fist (which is pretty easy to accomplish), Daredevil, and even Wolverine — Black Panther is a true Kung-Fu cat. According to James Young, Black Panther fights with a mix of taekwondo, capoeira, wushu, and extreme style martial arts.
Black Panther has his own unique style, much like Bruce Lee did.
Bruce Lee, however, fought in the Jeet Kune Do style with a mix of Wing Chun. So, for Black Panther to take one of his stances, is hilarious and down-right awesome. Hat’s off to Bruce Lee for everything he accomplished, along with the impact he had on society, culture, and even art. Watching Lee square of with T’Challa would be a fight for the ages (no armor or technology, though). Just a good old fashion hand-to-hand.
11 Case Of Inigo Montoya
Premiering in 1987, The Princess Bride included one of the most classic film lines of all time. Spoken by Inigo Montoya (mercenary fencer), the line sums up his drive and motivation for every decision he makes. Within the context of the film, it’s moving and hilarious. Applying the same theme to Black Panther is brilliant.
Not that we want Black Panther to be a typical Marvel comedy.
Although, the blueprint seems to be set in stone. But with director Ryan Coogler in charge, anything is possible. The passing of T’Challa’s father will be a primary foundation within the Black Panther film. Just in a more serious tone as opposed to Montoya’s arc in The Princess Bride. At the end of Captain America: Civil War, T'challa was just grasping the concept he’s now King of Wakanda.
10 Big Dreams
Yes, it’s another cute cat meme. For all the haters out there, these aren’t the cats you’re looking for. Who doesn’t enjoy a cute cat meme, especially one where he’s dreaming of being much more than he is? There’s a deep lesson shoved in-between all this adorableness. Dreams are nothing more than dreams unless you do something to make them a reality. Stars don’t fall from the sky and make all of one’s dreams come true. It takes a warrior spirit to step up to the plate and work hard towards making your dreams a reality. All the while maintaining that cute and adorable personality. Black Panther’s story holds plenty of deep messages, which shouldn’t be ignored. So, relax and enjoy a good comic book story, while also reflecting on life.
9 Do You Like Cats?
Sam Wilson and Steve Rogers are woven from the same thread. They’re both military boys who have a high moral code worked into their superhero powers and status. Showing the awkwardness from Sam reaching out to T’Challa in this Black Panther meme is hilarious. Not being able to think of anything else to say, Sam asks if T’Challa likes cats. Rogers clearly is taken aback. But then the meme flashes to the future with all three of them hovering over images of kitties. How long they’ve been obsessing over the pictures isn’t stated, but we’ll assume it’s been awhile. Not allsuperheroes need to be strong and masculine twenty-four-seven. This should’ve been a post-credit scene in Captain America: Civil War. How shocked would Marvel be? Would it lead to another The Last Jedi divide?
8 People Be Like
Separating out die-hard fans from the casual moviegoer can cause quite a fuss sometimes. While the two groups normally coincide together peacefully, Star Wars showed the world what can happen when one group feels left out of the equation. And not to say that TLJ haters don’t have some valid arguments. But there always needs to be a progression forward even if were not fond of the smaller parts that make up the whole. This meme focuses on the flip-side of the equation. Die-hard fans take pride in knowing everything about characters and storylines. Including various adaptations and alternate timelines. Having Martin Freeman and Andy Serkis sharing time together in another film is pretty cool though. Even if you’re a casual movie fan who only knows them by previous films.
7 Cool As A Cat
T’Challa is one cool cat. He has a massive amount of respect for others while honoring the traditions and principles of Wakanda. He’ll do what is necessary and doesn’t freeze when faced with danger. Black Panther not only respects his comrades, but enemies too. T’Challa is intelligent enough to understand how his enemies perceive and think. Not only does this give him an upper-hand over them, but it also allows him to show compassion and mercy when appropriate.
Black Panther doesn’t freeze, ever.
Which is why this meme will leave your sides hurting from laughter. How cool would it be if Black Panther froze suddenly during the movie to check out someone else’s handiwork? One thing is for certain, there would be an endless stream of memes.
6 Who Do You Think I Am?
Quicksilvers sudden passing in Avengers: Age of Ultron caught fans by surprise while creating a massive number of memes. For one who was supposed to be faster than bullets themselves, how was he not able to deflect or catch those rounds. But we digress. Quicksilver is gone, and there’s nothing we can do about it except laugh. Black Panther doesn’t have to worry about writers taking him out and ending his MCU run, thanks to his Vibranium armor. Having the bad guys fire at him with a simple gun is beyond hilarious. Not one bullet will penetrate his gear. It’d be like firing a pistol at Superman. Not very effective. But alas, the bad guys tend to be a few sandwiches short of a happy meal at times.
5 He Ain't No Superhero
The legend of Iron Fist is well known in Marvel comics, but the series produced on Netflix completely wrecked his character for all eternity. From the blatant whitewashing, to boring boardroom scenes, and hapless dialog — Iron Fist has officially become the rear of all things Marvel. Adding insult to injury, Danny Rand notoriously goes around declaring “I am the Immortal Iron Fist, sworn protector of K'un-Lun.”
Not that anyone was scared.
This meme strikes at the core of everything wrong with Iron Fist while showing off Black Panther’s intelligence. Forget giving Danny Rand a new line, his entire character needs to be scratched and revised. Marvel may be king of the hill regarding movies, but their network series featured on Netflix aren’t always at the top of their game.
4 Don't Mess With A Skilled Cat
Black Panther has a tremendous amount of skills in his repertoire. Which makes kicking Bucky in the head super easy to do. On top of incorporating several styles of Kung-Fu into his martial arts fighting style, Black Panther has four other main abilities and six “powers.” Abilities include being a pilot, multilingual, a master tactician, and master of acrobat. His powers are basically an upgrade to his already existing fighting skills. They give him enhanced strength, speed, stamina, durability, agility, and reflexes. In other words, it’s best to be prepared when squaring up toe-to-toe with Black Panther. Because he’s likely to kick you in the head. And we seriously doubt he’ll run away after doing so. If the first kick doesn’t do an opponent in, there’s plenty more to come.
3 Hard Times
Michael B. Jordan has had an extensive career. Although, landing a role in Fantastic Four (2015) as Johnny Storm likely wasn’t a highlight. There have been several live-action adaptations of the Fantastic Four, and none of them have ever been able to capture the brilliance of the comic created and written by Stan Lee. Which is why this meme is brilliantly funny. By reversing the script and having Michael Jordan say he’s finally in an MCU film, it essentially puts the movie version of Fantastic Four in its place.
Right at the bottom of the pile.
Produced and distributed by 20th Century Fox, the Fantastic Four may be about Marvel characters, but its technically not a true Marvel movie. But with the recent sale of Fox products to Disney, there might be a light at the end of the tunnel.
2 Hero Problems
What would a true superhero be without a trunk full of baggage? This meme cleverly picks apart those tropes, starting off easy with Captain America and slamming Peter Parker at the end. The best frame is T’Challa referring to Bruce Banner and saying, “get this man some pants.”
How exactly do Banners pants stay on, anyway?
Maybe his zucchini isn’t as big as Black Widow let on. But then again, we don’t know anyone who’s interested in having that question answered. The way she oozes over the Hulk, makes one wonder though. But alas, if his pants ripped, the Hulk would be rated R. Keep the pants you got Banner, we’re good here. And Peter, sorry about your uncle
1 True Facts
There are individuals who can’t wrap their minds around the hype and significance of the Black Panther film. Ignoring the fact of how late it is to the MCU party. Its titular character has a cultural and historical significance that shouldn’t be overlooked. Be honest, when was the last time a film featured black men and women triumphing over Western imperialism and capitalism. The same can be said for African superheroes. The diversity in the hero program needs a serious evaluation. As Wonder Woman proved in 2017. Black Panther holds the same kind of significance. This is truly history in the making. And yes, technically Wesley Snipes was the first African-American superhero, but how many have there been since him? And how many solo movies have been made?