Wakanda 4Eva: 5 Facts About 'Black Panther' You Probably Didn't Know

Source: Han Myung-Gu / Getty

Today marks two years since Hollywood, the Marvel Universe and Black cinema was changed….forever!

Black Panther hit theaters on this day two years ago and the Ryan Coogler directed film cemented itself into the history books immediately. It made over $1 Billion at the box office in just 26 days of it’s release after breaking the record for best February opening weekend of all time.

It also snagged seven Academy Award nominations and made history as the first superhero film to receive a Best Oscar nod. Panther also made Hannah Beachler the first African American to receive a nomination for production design for her work on the hit film — in which she won.

Source: Gabriel Olsen / Getty

As much as we already know about T’challa, Mbaku, Killmonger and squad, there are several fun facts you probably didn’t know about the hit Marvel movie. In honor of Black Panther’s second year anniversary, and Black History Month — let’s take a look at some facts about one of the greatest films in cinema history.

The Original Black Panther Movie

According Wesley Snipes, he tried to get a Black Panther movie made in 1992. Despite having a completed script, the project never made it past the development phase.

Wakandan Language

The Wakanda dialect was inspired by John Kani’s (T’Chaka, the King of Wakanda) real-life Xhosan dialect.

Strength Of The Panther

Boseman is trained in martial arts and brought a lot of his prior knowledge to the fighting style of T’Challa/Black Panther.

Wakanda Inspiration

Lesotho, a land-locked country within South Africa, became the inspiration for Wakanda after Coogler visited while prepping for the film.

Family Ties

John Kani’s real-life son, Atandwa Kani, plays young T’Chaka in the film.