Avengers: Infinity War may be the highest grossing film worldwide for 2018, but Marvel’s Black Panther is still domestically the highest grossing film of 2018 for at least another week. This is n addition to all of the other records it shattered (highest ticket presales of all time, highest grossing solo superhero film, biggest opening weekend for a solo superhero film, February opening weekend record, and biggest opening for an African American Director). My point is that you don’t really need me to tell you anything about Black Panther, other than it’s now available on 4K UHD, Blu-Ray, DVD, and Digital.

In the mythical land of Wakanda lives T’Challa, who is about to take on the role of king and also protects his country and their precious vibranium as the Black Panther. When a rival from the outside arrives to challenge T’Challa’s throne, he must answer for his ancestors blind eye towards what happened to their brothers through the annals of time. If Kilmonger has his way, Wakanda will no longer be a myth.

The story is powerful, but the stellar cast is the reason I keep watching it over and over. Chadwick Boseman is inspiring as King T’Challa and Angela Bassett is the most beautiful and regal queen in film this decade. Letitia Wright steals the show as the brilliant inventor Shuri and I think I speak for everyone when I say she needs her own spin-off film. My personal favorite character is Okoye and Danai Gurira’s performance deserves Best Supporting Actress nominations. And most importantly, Lupita Nyong’o completes the Disney brand trilogy by entering the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Nakia (Disney: The Jungle Book and Queen of Katwe, Star Wars: The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi). Ladies and gentleman, future Disney Legend Lupita Nyong’o doing the Disney equivalent of EGOTing.

The world has wholeheartedly embraced the afrofuturism of the film and the bonus features on this release promise to take you behind the scenes on how it was all created. The creative team offers glimpses of the African cultures that were blended to create Wakanda’s own unique identity. But most surprisingly of all, the majority of the film was shot in Atlanta, Georgia. Find out how the home of Coca-Cola and CNN was transformed into beautiful Wakanda by diving in to several hours of bonus features.

This review is specific to the 4K UHD/Blu-Ray/Digital Combo Pack. Fans can also bring it home in a Blu-Ray/Digital Combo as well as a DVD only release.

Bonus Features

Featurettes
- Crowning a New King (5:34) – Kevin Feige, Ryan Coogler, and Chadwick Boseman discuss the origins of Marvel’s Black Panther and how he was adapted for the big screen.
- The Hidden Kingdom Revealed (6:57) – The set and costume designers reveal their real-world African influences for Wakanda.
- The Warriors Within (6:08) – Angela Bassett, Lupita Nyong’o, Letitia Wright, and Danai Gurira examine the strong women of Wakanda.
- Wakanda Revealed: Exploring the Technology (6:16) – Wakanda’s leading export, Vibranium, is explored in this featurette about the technological advancements in the film (and Captain America’s shield).
Gag Reel (1:38) – The cast make mistakes and goof-off in this blooper reel.
Deleted Scenes (6;53) – Four deleted scenes can be viewed individually or with a “Play All” option.
- UN Meet and Greet (1:33) – T’Challa confronts Agent Ross at the United Nations.
- Okoye and W’Kabi Discuss the Future of Wakanda (1:45) – Tensions are high in this discussion between Okoye and W’Kabi.
- T’Challa Remembers His Father (1:26) – After receiving the X of the Black Panther, T’Challa reminisces about his father with Zuri.
- Voices from the Past (2:08) – Young T’Challa and Nakia sneak up on T’Challa’s father in this flashback.
From Page to Screen: A Roundtable Discussion (20:27) – Comic Writers Christopher Priest, Don McGregor, and Ta-Nehisi Coates talk with Ryan Coogler (Director), Nate Moore (Producer), and Joe Robert Cole (Screenplay) about the unlikely origins of the character and how the story was adapted for the screen.
Marvel Studios: The First Ten Years – Connecting the Universe (8:39) – Kevin Feige, Robert Downey Jr., Louis D’Esposito, Chris Pratt, Taika Waititi, and Chadwick Boseman look at how every Marvel Studios film is connected and what this means for Avengers: Infinity War.
Exclusive Sneak Peek at Ant-Man and the Wasp (2:26) – Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, and Peyton Reed offer a sneak peek at the next Marvel Studios film.
Audio Commentary (2:14:33) – Director Ryan Coogler and Production Designer Hannah Beachler offer an educational commentary of the film that is not only insightful about the filmmaking process, but also folds in the African and African American influences and homages throughout the film.

Digital Exclusives – Available with the included digital copy

Director’s Introduction (1:23) – Ryan Coogler explains how important Black Pantherwas to him as a child in this introduction to the film.
Wakanda Tourism Ads
Come to Wakanda – Before (0:48) – An old 1988 interlaced advertisement for Wakanda tourism.
Come to Wakanda – After (0:48) – A new 2018 sleek and sexy ad for Wakanda tourism.

Video

The 4K UHD disc offers an amazing HDR presentation. The color range is perfection and details are so crisp that the film almost feels 3D in this 2D format. Every scar on Killmonger’s body reads like it did on the big screen.

The Blu-Ray presentation offers a similarly dazzling HD experience, with a bit of detail lost and extremely bright moments feeling slightly muted in comparison to the 4K presentation.

Audio

The 4K disc was reviewed with the English 7.1 Dolby Digital Plus mix, which is comparable to the Blu-Ray’s 7.1 DTS-HDMA mix. It’s enveloping, filling all speakers with score and sound effects during the film’s biggest moments. The 4K disc also includes a Dolby Atmos 7.1.4 mix in addition to 7.1 Spanish, 5.1 French, and 2.0 English Descriptive Audio. The Blu-Ray contains English 7.1, Spanish and French 5.1, and the 2.0 English Descriptive Audio mix.

Packaging & Design

The 4K Blu-Ray/Digital Combo Pack comes in a standard sized black Blu-Ray case with disc holders on the inside of both sides. The 4K disc features artwork of Black Panther in a crouching position. Inserts include a Movies Anywhere digital copy code and a flier for Disney Movie Club that emphasizes the Marvel Studios films. The initial release comes with a foil embossed slipcover.

The main menu for both discs features a montage of clips from the film set to score. The Blu-Ray disc opens with an ad for Ant-Man and the Wasp. Selecting Sneak Peeks from the main menu plays additional ads for Marvel Strike Force, Marvel Contest of Champions, and Marvel Future Fight.

Final Thoughts

Black Panther is one of the best films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and is required viewing for Avengers: Infinity War. While the bonus features could have been longer, they offer an honest look into the filmmaking process with an excellent commentary. And with two HD versions to choose from, fans can recreate the theatrical experience in their living rooms.
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Fans should note that Target has their own collectible digi-book packaging with an exclusive book that goes behind the scenes of the film.