Superhero movies have been highly anticipated in the past couple of years with the releases of movies, such as “DeadPool,” “Wonder Woman,” and “Logan.” “Black Panther” recently became the third highest-grossing release in Marvel history and is expected to pass “The Avengers” on the all-time domestic list for fifth.

The movie earned $292 million in its first week. But the movie isn’t just breaking records, it is breaking new grounds. “Black Panther” is the first Marvel superhero movie to star a black actor since “Blade” in 1998. “Black Panther” also stars an almost all black cast.

Ryan Coogler who directed “Black Panther,” “Creed” and “Fruitvale Station” has aspirations to bring more movies starring black actors to Hollywood that avoid negative portrayals, and this was a good start toward that mission.

Before walking into the theatre to watch “Black Panther,” I had seen some pictures of cosplayers who had dressed up for the movie, but I wouldn’t have thought it would have happened in a small suburban Lake Zurich theater.

I was wrong. As I walked into the theatre, I ran into a man wearing a traditional African dashiki and a plethora of beads of many different colors.

The movie begins with T’Challa riding in an invisible Wakandan Jet with a group of bandits transporting young girls below.

“Don’t freeze,” said Dora Milaje’s character, a member of the nation’s fierce woman-led Special Forces.

“I never freeze,” King T’Challa responds with the utmost swagger and continues to torpedo off the jet at top speed as he jumps to rescue his people. After saving his people, he sees Shuri, his ex-girlfriend, and he freezes.

The crowd in the theater broke out into laughter, and so did I. The movie surprisingly was hilarious due to the humorous, yet valiant, T’Challa who is played by Chadwick Boseman. Boseman doesn’t have just an awesome name; he also has starred in some big roles as famous black men– Jackie Robinson, James Brown and Ernie Davis. But this was by far one of his best performances and most notable.

As he has done in the past, he plays the role of the star well. Being the president of Wakanda might look like nothing from the outside, but protecting the truth of the prosperity of the country from the rest of the world is the true burden that rests on the shoulders of T’Challa. The question to all is will he follow the previous King’s decision and hide a secret or will he open the country’s gold mine of innovation to the world.

The character Erik Killmonger has a different perspective on the situation. Played by Michael B. Jordan, the persona of Erik Killmonger mirrors that of Heath Ledger’s Joker. Being a young boy from rough Oakland, CA, who graduated from MIT, Killmonger then joined the Naval Academy and became a Navy Seal, which led to him obtaining a ridiculously high amount of kills on the battlefield and soon being dubbed “Killmonger.” Jordan’s Killmonger character has claimed the throne of the villains in Marvel movies.

While comic book readers know more than we do about the future of the “Black Panther” trilogy, I think all of us who have seen the talk surrounding the movie knows that it is more than just a good movie. It is a stepping stone for black actors and directors to finally make a move to make more movies that relate to the black community without being stereotypical. Hopefully those movies can also change not just Hollywood but our world.