In the film "Black Panther," T'Challa is the king of Wakanda. Wakanda is a fictional African nation portrayed as technologically advanced and culturally diverse, despite presenting itself to the outside world as an isolated, less-developed country.
T'Challa inherits the throne after the death of his father, King T'Chaka. He is also the Black Panther, a hereditary protector title connected to Wakanda's leadership and to the heart-shaped herb, which grants enhanced physical abilities. In the 2018 film, T'Challa must defend both his crown and his nation's future.
Wakanda's extraordinary technology is powered largely by vibranium, a rare fictional metal that arrived in the region through a meteorite. The nation uses it in weapons, transportation, medicine, clothing, and energy systems.
A common mix-up is confusing Wakanda with a real African country. Wakanda does not exist outside Marvel fiction, and T'Challa is a fictional character played by Chadwick Boseman in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.