Not all heroes wear capes, but Black Panther wears even less. The prince of Wakanda has no need for a secret identity — unlike other Marvel superheroes — and actor Chadwick Boseman has revealed his theory as to why.
Boseman guest-starred on "Jimmy Kimmel Live," where the host broached the topic of Black Panther's lack of secret identity and whether or not Boseman was disappointed at his character not having an alter ego.
"There's a certain, like, fear factor that the mask creates, and there's still a legend around the character that has been created," Boseman told Kimmel. "I guess you would either have to go to some of the comic books or see it in the movie, but there's an aspect of it that's like, 'Is this Black Panther thing real?"
"You don't need the secret identity because there's still the mystery of the Panther's prowess," the actor added.
A large number of Marvel superheroes have secret identities, like how Queens high school student Peter Parker (Tom Holland) is secretly Spider-Man and former soldier Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) is Captain America.
Black Panther, on the other hand, is the ceremonial title awarded to the chief of the Panther tribe from the African nation of Wakanda.
Because the title "Black Panther" is passed from generation to generation, the hero has a legacy behind him that is built on a mix of technology, skill and the level of respect awarded to a head of state.
Of course, there is also the fact that the Black Panther commands a technologically advanced army that could crush most countries.
"Black Panther" director Ryan Coogler has previously spoken about how the film differs from the usual Marvel offerings.
"This movie has a lot of different combinations," Coogler told Comic Book. "You're dealing with a guy who's real like Thor [Chris Hemsworth], but he's from Earth which changes things. It gives it context and ... even though we're dealing with a lot of fantastical elements, fantastical technology, it still kind of grounds it in a way that's very unique."
"Black Panther" premieres in theaters on Feb. 16, 2018.
