by: S. Scott Stanikmas – Senior Staff Writer
NOW ON TWITTER @IR_Supernerd

After months of searching for the right visionary, Marvel Studios has chosen a director for the highly anticipated Black Panther movie.

In an announcement from studio head Kevin Feige, Creed director Ryan Coogler has been selected to helm the exploits of the Wakandan superhero:

We are fortunate to have such an esteemed filmmaker join the Marvel family. The talents Ryan showcased in his first two films easily made him our top choice to direct Black Panther. Many fans have waited a long time to see Black Panther in his own film, and with Ryan we know we’ve found the perfect director to bring T’Challa’s story to life.

This is a huge moment in Coogler’s life. He started off with Fruitvale Station which was a darling with critics everywhere. He followed that up with last year’s Creed, which could have been another embarrassing chapter in the Rocky saga, but ended up being a touching film about finding one’s worth and blazing your own path.

Now he’s being given the reins to a major Marvel film that will lead into the next big epic (and possibly universe shattering story), Avengers: Infinity War, Part 1.

I loved Creed (as you can see by my ranking of it in my Top Ten of 2015) and can see why Marvel Studios picked Coogler for Black Panther based on that. Much like Adonis Creed had to, T’Challa will have to step out of his father’s shadow and show the world that he can be his own man. The only difference is that Adonis didn’t have to lead a nation and fight supervillains while doing that.

Chadwick Boseman will don the costume of the Black Panther in the solo film, but first we’ll see him debut as the character in this spring’s Captain America: Civil War.

From there it will be on to his own film, which is set to hit theaters February 16, 2018.