Black Panther will feature majority black cast, is crucial to Avengers: Infinity War

Black Panther will be one of the last superheroes in the new wave of characters to get his own stand-alone film, but Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige says he's incredibly "important" to the future of the Cinematic Universe.

In an interview with Empire Magazine, Feige said that the main reason they decided to bring the story of Black Panther forward was because of how influential his character would be on the upcoming Avengers films, Infinity War — Part 1 and Infinity War — Part 2.

The executive also added that Black Panther would be the first Marvel film to feature a majority black cast. Feige touched upon bringing director Ryan Coogler (Creed) onboard and what that means for the film. He said that it was important they remained faithful to the comic and the character's origins.

"This one is important," Feige said. "Not only do you get an unbelievable lead character, but you also get all of Wakanda which is a whole new setting and culture to explore."

When it came to the character's placement in the Marvel Universe, Feige wouldn't offer any more information on just how Black Panther's storyline would affect the Avengers, but did provide a more in-depth look at what the character's solo movie will include.

"The movie is a big geopolitical action adventure that focuses on the family and royal struggle of T'Challa in Wakanda and what it means to be a king," Feige said.

Again, while Feige wouldn't say how Black Panther's storyline would be included in the Avengers films, having Wakanda as a new setting for the heroes to explore is interesting. Black Panther is the last film part of Marvel's Phase Three before Infinity War, which means that all of the Infinity Stones have to be found before the film is released.

Could the final Infinity Stone be found on the ancient planet where Black Panther reigns as king? It's definitely a possibility.

Black Panther's release date has been pushed back multiple times, and the film has suffered through casting changes and directors dropping out. Now, the film is scheduled to be released on Feb. 16, 2018, but it was originally supposed to be released in November 2017. The Avengers: Infinity War — Part 1 will hit theaters three months later on May 4, 2018.