Why Are Black Panther And Fantastic Four Characters In The Same Avengers: Doomsday Trailer?

Marvel is conducting a strange experiment by releasing short teasers that highlight specific characters in the lead-up to "Avengers: Doomsday." Until now, each teaser has focused on one hero or group, like Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), and the X-Men. But now we have a proper team-up, with the latest trailer showing a meeting between the current Black Panther, Shuri (Letitia Wright), the ruler of Wakanda, M'Baku (Winston Duke), and the Fantastic Four's Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach). Namor (Tenoch Huerta) and the Talokans from "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" also make appearances. If it seems like an odd collection, watch Looper's video above to learn why it actually makes perfect sense. 

What made the first "Avengers" movie exciting is that it took heroes from disparate franchises and brought them together. The Black Panther/Fantastic Four teaser offers that same feeling — anyone can be brought into the mix. But these specific heroes actually have a long history together. One thing a lot of people don't know about Black Panther is that he (T'Challa, that is) made his comic debut in 1966's "Fantastic Four" #52 from Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. 

He's something of an antagonistic figure in his first appearance, as he attacks the Fantastic Four when they arrive in Wakanda. Fortunately, he was merely testing their abilities before asking them to help him defend his nation from Ulysses Klaw. It would take 11 more years until Black Panther would receive his own solo series, but he kept popping up in "Fantastic Four" issues and other stories until then. 

Decades following their first encounter, Black Panther would become a member of the Fantastic Four in 2007's "Fantastic Four" #544," from Dwayne McDuffie, Paul Pelletier, and Rick Magyar. The issue picks up in a post-"Civil War" landscape, where Reed Richards was on the side of superheroes registering their identities. Suffice it to say, it put a rift between him and Sue Storm, so the two take a sabbatical from the team (they still pop in to help out frequently). In an official capacity, Black Panther and his wife, Storm (the X-Men member, no relation to Sue), join the line-up. 

Black Panther also joins the Illuminati in the 21st century as they struggle to deal with oncoming incursions. Fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe should recognize that term from "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness," as it represents two parallel universes colliding, resulting in one or multiple realities getting wiped out. This leads to the 2015 "Secret Wars" event, and while the trailers we have now are for "Avengers: Doomsday," "Avengers: Secret Wars" is set to come out on December 17, 2027. 

Whatever happens in "Doomsday," the heroes have to wind up on Battleworld to set up those "Secret Wars," and there are plenty of cool things from the comics for the film to borrow from. Black Panther commands an army of the dead, and two Reed Richards team up; one of whom is the evil Maker that fans theorize could appear during these new "Avengers" movies. Both films are still a ways away, so bone up on your Marvel knowledge by learning more about the history of Black Panther and the Fantastic Four in Looper's explainer, linked above.