Steeped in cultural significance, the film opened to $192 domestically, the biggest February debut ever, said Disney. It's also already the highest-grossing film by a black director.
Yes, he's a comic book character. And he lives in an imaginary place. But it may be based on a regional powerhouse that flourished in what is now Zimbabwe.
Coates has written a new series of Black Panther comics telling the story of an African prince turned superhero. "Comic book heroes are like our mythology," he says. "They're our Greek gods."