Black Panther will be a 'cross between James Bond and The Godfather'

'A big, operatic family drama centred on a world of international espionage. So hopefully we're getting the best of both worlds'

Black Panther's first trailer was an internet-breaker, for sure.

Between its stellar director (Ryan Coogler) and stellar cast (Chadwick Boseman, Lupita Nyong'o, Angela Bassett), the Marvel film is riding on some insane hype, and it's clear the studio has some high hopes for the film's success down the line.

The film will drop us straight into the centre of Wakanda, an African nation possessing incredible technology but which hides itself from the outside world, and whose new king T'Challa (AKA the Black Panther) finds his sovereignty threatened by two enemies conspiring to bring the entire kingdom down.

An epic plot that executive producer Nate Moore has teased to Entertainment Weekly as "a cross between James Bond and The Godfather", adding that it's, "A big, operatic family drama centred on a world of international espionage. So hopefully we're getting the best of both worlds."

The Godfather references, of course, lie within the tensions surrounding the Wakandan royal family. Ryan Coogler says the film sees T'Challa attempting to, "keep harmony between the tribes within his country, and that means managing expectations and doing things that are unpopular. At the same time, he is the protector of that nation."

The Bond elements will come partially in the form of Lupita Nyong'o's Nakia, Wakanda's undercover operative and a former lover of T'Challa's, described by Nyong'o herself as something of "a war dog".

Black Panther hits UK cinemas 16 February 2018.