Marvel's next blockbuster Black Panther doesn't see nationwide release until this Friday, but it's already inspired plenty of goodwill, with celebrities and other supporters raising funds to make sure as many people, especially kids, get to see the film as possible. Rapper T.I. partnered with an Atlanta Wal-Mart to hold a special screening of the highly anticipated flick for 300 people.
The rapper shared the news on Twitter, writing, “Me and @Walmart joined efforts to support the community with free tickets for customers to attend an Advance Screening of @MarvelStudios @theblackpanther."
He's not the only celebrity to get in on paying it forward, with Academy Award-winning actress Octavia Spencer posting to Instagram that she planned to buy out an entire Mississippi theater to make sure that "all our brown children can see themselves as a superhero,” also adding, "I will let you know where and when Mississippi. Stay tuned. #KingsAndQueensWillRise #blackpanthermovie.”
Comedian and talk show host Ellen DeGeneres did her own giveaway of tickets to see the film, picking up the tab to let members of Harlem's Boys & Girls Club watch it when it's finally released. But the Black Panther-inspired good deeds don't just end with celebrities. The #BlackPantherChallenge to send kids from marginalized communities to the film—the campaign DeGeneres gifted tickets to—raised a combined $300,000 across dozens of GoFundMe campaigns. The idea spread across North America and became individual campaigns in multiple cities, raising cash to help send thousands of kids to see the film.
With some of the highest presale ticket numbers of any Superhero movie, hopefully everyone gets to experience Black Panther by the time the weekend is over.
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