Black Panther exists solely as a superhero.
The Black Panther ( T'Challa ) is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics . He is the first black superhero in mainstream American comics , debuting years before such early African-American superheroes as Marvel Comics ' the Falcon ( 1969 ) and Luke Cage ( 1972 ) , and DC Comics ' Green Lantern John Stewart ( 1971 ) and Black Lightning ( 1977 ) . Black Panther (film) . Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures , it is intended to be the eighteenth film installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe . Wesley Snipes first mentioned his intention to work on a Black Panther film in 1992 , with that project going through multiple iterations over the next decade but never coming to fruition .