When Will Black Panther’s Review Embargo Lift?

As the release date for Marvel’s Black Panther draws near, we’re taking a look at when the first reviews will be making their way online. The movie’s social media embargo will be lifted on Tuesday, January 30th at 1 AM EST, while the embargo covering full reviews will go up on Tuesday, February 6th at 12 PM EST. Black Panther’s long-awaited solo debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is nearly upon us. After making his first appearance in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War, the King of Wakanda will finally be explored in depth, as will his famed (and fictional) African nation.

Black Panther will directly follow up on the events of Civil War, in which T’Challa’s father was killed and the throne was passed down to his son. After returning home to take up his birthright, Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa faces opposition from both Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) and Ulysses Klaw (Andy Serkis) in a showdown that could very well decide the fate of the world. Also, they’ll be going to space , apparently.

Now that the first clip of the film has officially been released , fans are more desperate than ever to find out just how good Black Panther is. And if the review embargo dates are anything to go by (they often are), then Marvel looks to have another critical hit on their hands. The you-shall-not-post-on-social-media wall will lift at 1 AM EST on January 30th, a full 18 days before the movie hits theaters. The embargo on actual reviews, meanwhile, lifts at 12 PM EST on February 6th, 10 days before Black Panther arrives on the big screen.

For the most part, these dates are in keeping with the MCU’s recent history of opening up their films to critics well in advance. Of their last four releases, Doctor Strange’s embargo went up 12 days ahead of its release, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2′s went up 11 days ahead, Spider-Man: Homecoming‘s was 8 days, and Thor: Ragnarok‘s was opened up just over 2 weeks in advance. That last one was a bit of an outlier, as Marvel actually moved up its release date in a display of supreme confidence that the movie would be a critical darling. A similar fate could still await Black Panther, but in the meantime, it’s found itself in a comfortable middle ground amongst its MCU brethren.