T'Challa is the true protector of Wakanda in the new D23 poster for Marvel's Black Panther. After making his first appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a supporting character in last year's Captain America: Civil War, Chadwick Boseman's T'Challa/Black Panther has already emerged as a fan-favorite character in the franchise. And with next year's solo Black Panther film, Boseman gets to truly prove his worth as the character once and for all, as the man caught in the center of a film that, similar to Doctor Strange or the first Thor, promises to take the MCU into entirely uncharted territory once again.

Unsurprisingly, Marvel has managed to pack Black Panther to the brim with as many talented creative actors and filmmakers as possible. As a result, not only is critically-acclaimed filmmaker, Ryan Coogler at the helm of the film, but Black Panther also boasts one of the most impressive ensemble casts not only in Marvel history but that the comic book genre has ever seen - period. In addition to Boseman, celebrated actors like Lupita Nyong'o, Angela Bassett, Danai Gurira, Michael B. Jordan, Forest Whitaker, Andy Serkis, Martin Freeman, Sterling K. Brown, and more are all set to play roles in the film.

Related: Chadwick Boseman Explains Black Panther's Politics

While no official footage or announcements from Black Panther was revealed during Marvel's D23 Expo presentation this past weekend, the studio did offer D23 attendees an exciting new Black Panther poster that they could get their hands on at the convention. Designed by Marvel Studios Character Designer and Concept Artist, Andy Meinerding, the beautiful new poster positions T'Challa alongside his two most trusted members of the Dora Milaje, as they keep watch over their home nation of Wakanda. You can check out the poster for yourself down below:

There was a fair amount of anticipation surrounding the film in the months following Boseman's debut in Civil War, but ever since Marvel released the first teaser trailer for Black Panther, both hype and awareness of the film have been at a steady increase. That's not surprising, since, in addition to the film's exciting creative team, Black Panther also looks and feels, unlike any other film that Marvel has made up until this point, with a clear point of view and artistic style which help to make it stand out from all the rest of the pack.

Considering just how long fans have waited to see T'Challa/Black Panther introduced into the MCU, it's fair to say that expectations for his introduction have always been high, to say the least. But with less than a full movie under his belt, Boseman has already made a lasting impression in the MCU - one which only looks to grow more in Black Panther, a film that will apparently be a cross between "The Godfather and James Bond" (in case there weren't already enough reasons to get excited about this particular Marvel Studios title).

NEXT: Black Panther Character Posters

Source: Andy Meinerding