One of the most unique superheroes in recent years has arrived on the big screen once again. Marvel Studios’ “Black Panther” hit theaters today to monumental acclaim from critics and fans alike.

The 2 hour and 15 minute masterpiece features T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) returning home to the secretive nation of Wakanda a week after the events of “Captain America: Civil War.” Upon returning home, he is crowned king, and works alongside his sister Shuri (Letitia Wright), Wakandan spy Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) and general Okoye (Danai Gurira) to preserve the Wakandan way of life. The cinematic spectacle also stars Michael B. Jordan, Martin Freeman, Andy Serkis, Forest Whitaker, Sterling K. Brown and Angela Bassett.

Fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe got to see Boseman’s astonishing acting ability in full, with him displaying emotions including anger, sadness and joy, rather than the calm, calculating, cold persona he wore during “Civil War.” Fans of Fox’s now Disney-owned Marvel Films will be ecstatic to see Jordan finally get his chance to portray an amazing villain as Erik Killmonger, who may be one of the best villains in the MCU to date.

Whitaker’s fully-developed role should please those dissatisfied about his minimal presence in 2016’s “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.” Martin Freeman’s Everett Ross was fleshed out in Black Panther and Freeman performed with excellence.

Being a part of the MCU, “Black Panther” was almost pre-destined to be packed full of references to the wider MCU. Apart from Freeman’s Everett Ross, and a few other small Easter eggs, no mention was made of Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, or any of the other Avengers. The expected reaction to an event like this would be absolute fan dismay, but in the case of “Black Panther” it actually worked out incredibly. The movie’s setting, the fictional country of Wakanda, is a secluded country in Africa that does not partake in trade with other nations. Given this fact, it makes perfect sense that the country and its people would either not know about the events outside of their homes or the inhabitants of this nation do not care what happens outside of their world. This sentiment ends up playing a big part in the overall theme of “Black Panther.”

One of the biggest problems in the MCU is the often lackluster villains; critics and fans alike have noticed “Black Panther” breaks the mold with Killmonger, as he is the foil for T’challa in every sense of the term. His backstory is both tragic and relatable, his motives aren’t wicked so much as they are misguided, and even without superpowers, he is one of the strongest combatants the MCU has ever seen. With all of those facts in mind, combined with the superb acting of Michael B. Jordan, Killmonger may set the standard for comic book movie villains in the future.

News outlets have been talking about “Black Panther” and have discussed how it gives children of color a superhero to look up to, overlooking Black Lightning, Luke Cage, Miles Morales, Storm, Bishop, Falcon, Blade and War Machine. Not only does “Black Panther” pose a role model in the character of T’challa, but young girls will find an excellent role model in the character of Shuri. She is a bright young woman and provides children someone to look up to.

“Black Panther” provides spectacular visuals, some of the greatest in MCU history. Wakanda is vibrant, the various other cities shown are alive with color. The capital of Wakanda has the most visually stunning appearance since Asgard in “Thor.”

Unfortunately, no film is without flaws in some form. The two glaring flaws reside in the underuse of Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis) and in one of the post-credits scenes that the MCU is famous for. With Klaue, fans will take note of the fact that apart from two instances, the spectacle would have gone off exactly the same without him. As for the post-credits scene, while it was in no sense a bad scene, it could have just as easily been the end of the movie itself rather than a post-credits scene. The end of the film was not lackluster by any means, so fans will find having this particular post-credits scene to be tolerable and understandable.

“Black Panther” is a pristine example of cinematic excellence. It builds upon characters fans have already met and introduces new characters fans are sure to love. It presents one of the best villains in Marvel history and has some of the most futuristic and stunning visuals since the first “Thor” film. This was the perfect movie to have appear just before “Infinity War,” and does not make direct setups for the grandiose showdown like every other film in the MCU. “Black Panther” deserves a 10/10 and leaves fans eager for “Infinity War.”