All of the trailers for "Captain America: Civil War" showcase snippets of Chadwick Boseman as Prince T'Challa aka the Black Panther. However, according to a report from Cinema Blend, the character's role was originally not going to be as large as it is now and that this expanded when Spider-Man (Tom Holland) was brought into the film.
According to the report, screen writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely revealed that T'Challa and his father T'Chaka were simply going to appear as representatives of Wakanda, arriving as political leaders who would reiterate that the Avengers were getting out of control and needed supervision.
If this pushed through then audiences wouldn't get to see T'Challa donning his costume until the solo "Black Panther" film in 2018. This was the intent, particularly if the deals with Sony Pictures pushed through early and they could insert Spider-Man into the film.
"When things maybe looked like we weren't going to get Spider-Man, it was like, 'Let's put the costume on that guy!' And then he became so integral to the story as it evolved that once Spider-Man came back, we didn't take him out. So, it was a problem that created a really nice situation," explained Markus.
A report from Screen Rant points out that while it would have been interesting to see Black Panther without his costume in "Captain America: Civil War," many early reviews are pointing out how the character was seamlessly added to the film without detracting from the overall story or from Spider-Man's time in the spotlight.
The "Black Panther" solo film will open in theaters in 2018 and will further explore the secret kingdom of Wakanda, its people and the adventures of the titular hero. The film will be directed by "Creed" director Ryan Coogler. Black Panther will be making his debut in "Captain America: Civil War," which opens in theaters this May 6.
