TIME & WIRED Covers Featuring Marvel’s Black Panther Aren’t Real… But They Should Be!

T’Challa aka Black Panther on the cover of TIME by Darian Robbins

Covers of TIME and WIRED magazines profiling actor Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa, better known as Marvel ‘s Black Panther , have had fans wondering if the studio is launching promotion for the superhero who will finally get a solo film in 2018.

ALSO SEE: Marvel’s ‘Black Panther’ Finds Its Director in Creed’s Ryan Coogler

However, it appears Marvel isn’t quite there yet, forcing multimedia artist Darian Robbins took matters into his own hands.

Wired. Black Panther. pic.twitter.com/FqPCZww35k

— deray mckesson (@deray) May 31, 2015

Robbins has been rolling out brilliantly executed mock-ups since March, starting with a gold commemorative coronation coin with Boseman’s face, a panther behind it, “WAKANDA” across the top, and “King T’Challa” at bottom-left.

Wakanda gold commemorative coronation coin by Darian Robbins

100 Wakandan dollar bill by Darian Robbins

The coin was followed by a 100 Wakandan dollar bill, and a C-SPAN screenshot of T’Challa speaking at the U.N. General Assembly, for which the artist created a backstory:

T’Challa aka Black Panther at the U.N. General Assembly on -C-SPAN by Darian Robbins

The ruling King of Wakanda, T’Challa, addressed the U.N. General Assembly and emphasized that the world had “nothing to fear” from his country and that their Vibranium stockpiles will remain under their control only and out of U.N. oversight. He assured that HE and his country are more than capable to defend itself from any group or government trying to steal the precious metal for devious purposes.

Robbins also created a Forbes profile page for the billionaire king, as well as a GQ feature that hints at a single T’Challa’s wife-to-be, Ororo Monroe, better known as X-Men’s Storm .

T’Challa aka Black Panther’s Forbes profile by Darian Robbins

T’Challa aka Black Panther’s GQ profile by Darian Robbins

Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby , Black Panther is the first black superhero in mainstream American comics. He hails from the fictional African nation of Wakanda, of which he eventually becomes king.

He made his first appearance in the Marvel Universe in Fantastic Four #52 in July 1966, and traveled to New York City to join The Avengers in 1968.

Black Panther on the cover of Fantastic Four #52, Vol. 1, July 1966 (via marvel.wikia.com)

Boseman, whose career is grounded in playing strong leading men ( Jackie Robinson in 42 and James Brown in Get On Up ) will introduce T’Challa to a broader audience in the film Captain America: Civil War , out May 6, 2016.

As for how he’ll be worked into the plot, it has been reported that he will be on the hunt for Bucky Barnes aka The Winter Soldier.

Black Panther’s solo film has been pushed from its November 3, 2017 release date to July 6, 2018 February 16, 2018, and that day can’t come soon enough.

Marvel Knights: Black Panther , an animated Black Panther film was released in 2011, starring Djimon Honsou ( Blood Diamond / Guardians of the Galaxy ) as the voice of T’Challa.

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