Review: LEGO 76215 Black Panther

September 18, 2022 | 18

Sometimes bigger is not always better, but if there was any LEGO set that makes one heck of a statement in 2022, it’s likely to be 76215 Black Panther.

This 2,961-piece bust of T’Challa, aka Wakanda’s Black Panther is huge, and a really impressive display piece that pushes the LEGO Marvel Super Heroes theme to uncharted waters.

It’s one of the pricier LEGO sets of 2022, and you’re going to want to read this review before deciding if this set is right for you, or maybe to help answer the question – who exactly is this set meant for, and why did LEGO release this set?

76215 Black Panther will be released on 1 October 2022, and will be available from LEGO.com or your local LEGO Store. Check out regional pricing and product pages below:

• 76215 Black Panther [US] – US$349.99
• 76215 Black Panther [AUS]  – AU$549.99
• 76215 Black Panther [UK] – £299.99
• 76215 Black Panther [EU] – €349.99
• 76215 Black Panther [CA] – CAD$449.99

Let’s jump into the review of the LEGO Black Panther bust!

Special thanks to the LEGO Group for providing this set for review

76215 Black Panther Set Details

Name: Black Panther
Set Number: 76215
Pieces: 2,961
Price: AU$549.99 | US$349.99 | £299.99 – Buy from LEGO.com [AUS] [USA] [UK]
Exclusive to: LEGO.com / LEGO Stores
Theme: Marvel Super Heroes
LEGO Designer: Mark Stafford @lego_nabii
Release Date: 1 October 2022

Here’s a look at the manual, which is pretty understated. Of note are some quotes from the Black Panther movie, on Wakandan technology and designer notes from Mark Stafford, who worked on the set.

I kinda wanted more, to be honest – a Chadwick Boseman tribute would’ve been really nice and thoughtful, as would be a little more information about the importance of Black Panther as a barrier-breaking black superhero, to help those that will pick this set up understand the cultural impact and importance of Black Panther.

Context and Background

The timing of this set’s release, in October 2022 is also of note because the sequel to Black Panther, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever premieres in cinemas on 11 November 2022, so interest in Black Panther will definitely be at fever pitch closer to that date.

Black Panther has profound cultural impact, especially as the movie is one of the highest grossing solo superhero movies, and the 6th top-grossing movie in the North American box office, so I think LEGO are right on the call here to release this set.

The set is technically not a tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman, who passed in August 2020. Mark Stafford revealed that the set was designed during Covid lockdown, so early to mid 2020. Do remember that the Black Panther sequel was delayed, so the timing of this as a homage to Chadwick Boseman (not to say it isn’t, or can’t be), is mostly a coincidence.

Then again, I can imagine that the desire to launch a substantial Black Panther set was driven partly with the intention to capture people who want a monument to Black Panther, and Chadwick.

There are of course minifigure-scale playsets available that are direct tie-ins to Wakanda Forever.

The Build Experience

Here’s a gallery of the build progress of the Black Panther bust. It’s quite a big build, with 17 numbered sections to go through, and you begin with the base, and work your way upwards.

I really liked the vibrancy of colours used within the bust – plenty of purple, magenta, blues and greys to break up the overwhelming number of black pieces that are in the set.

As it’s quite a substantial build, my recommendation is not to rush through it, and try to finish it off in one sitting – which I did because of a tight deadline to publish this review.

The build was mostly very interesting, partly relaxing and felt like you’re building a large statue. While there are some Technic elements thrown in for stability, and for locking things in place, it isn’t a particularly challenging build, and in many ways, I found it very enjoyable.

I did however dislike just how many black elements are in the set, which are unavoidable, and after awhile, my eyes were starting to lose focus, after having to scan through a mass of black elements for that one black element, something that can be avoided with plenty of breaks and rest for your eyes.

All up, I took about 8 hours to build the set, at a fairly rapid pace, so I think it can be done from 6-10 hours depending on how quickly you build.

That said, there was this part of the build, which I struggled with – it involved an outer face plate, which has to be lodged in place with this clip, attached to a long Technic rod.

It was really hard as you have to jam the rod into the face, and rotate the pincer claw until it catches on the inside, which wasn’t the easiest thing to do. Those new to LEGO will struggle with this 100%.

Oh, and this was a very lovely surprise – during the build, I stumbled upon this awesome Easter Egg, hidden within the construction – the initials CB, as a way to honour the late Chadwick Boseman.

The completed build

And here’s the completed build, which is just massive. The size did become apparent when I was building, but after I was done, it really just struck me just how comically large the set is.

The set measures 46cm high (18″), 52cm wide (20″), and 29cm (11″) lengthwise, and this super-sized scale does allow for unprecedented detail, sculpting and contouring to be made possible.

This isn’t some dinky US$50 Iron Man Helmet-sized set, but a proper life-sized bust. Look at how tiny it makes the Iron Man helmet look.

And here’s a comparison with a Black Panther minifigure. No minifigures are included in the set, which in my honest opinion, is the wrong move.

For a set this expensive, it really wouldn’t hurt for LEGO to throw in a really nice Black Panther minifigure. Maybe one with fully specced leg and arm printing to make this seem like a good deal?

Adults like minifigures too, y’know.

Here’s a look at the set from the side.

And here’s a look at the back of the head, which has a really bizarre-looking bump. I can see what the design was going for here, but it looks like a really painful blister. Thankfully, you won’t look at this much, but weird.

The sheer size of this opens up the use of plenty of larger elements, and gave designer Mark Stafford a lot of room to play, to get the curves, reduce gaps, and introduce texture into Black Panther’s iconic mask.

Here’s a close-up of Black Panther’s face – the design of the nose is sublime, and probably my favourite feature. There are plenty of drum-lacquered silver elements to cut through the black and help the build shimmer and shine at certain angles when the light gets into contact with it.

Oh at the very least, the eyes are printed.

I’m not sure if I made a mistake or something here, but the silver lines in this section look really awkward, and doesn’t flow as well.

Here’s a look at Black Panther’s pointy ears, which are also captured with a high level of accuracy.

Here’s a look at Black Panther’s necklace, which is held in place by some clips.

Of course, what really brings the entire model together are the 2 hands, posed in the Wakanda Forever salute.

The hands are really large, and are essentially Nano Gauntlet-sized, and they really add so much life, and display presence to the model.

Like the Nano or Infinity Gauntlet, the fingers are also fully articulated, and I love that the claws are in drum-lacquered silver as well.

Both hands can also be detached – they’re held in place with ball joints and precariously rest in between these 2 small bumps.

Here’s a closer look at the display plaque, which has pops of charged up purple Vibranium throughout it.

It’s really disappointing that the plaque with the Black Panther logo is a sticker. For a set positioned as a premium product, this really should’ve been printed, and just feels like an unnecessary corner being cut.

You have a few display options, the hands and plaque are easily removed via Technic pins and you can display T’Challa’s head/bust on its own.

Without the hands, it looks like a more traditional bust, although the kinda there shoulders, but not really there does look a little awkward.

Morbidly, it also looks like you have Black Panther’s head displayed as a trophy.

You can also display the hands on their own, which I think looks pretty good solo.

How big is the LEGO Black Panther bust?

So just to illustrate how comically large and out of place 76215 Black Panther is, here’s a look at a few different LEGO sets to establish a sense of scale. Remember, this is a life-sized bust.

I just can’t get over how large it is.

First up, we have the 76165 Iron Man Helmet, and 76209 Mjolnir. Unfortunately, I don’t have the Infinity or Nano Gauntlet built. I should get to that immediately.

And here it is next to 71411 The Mighty Bowser, which I reviewed yesterday! It makes the very large Bowser look so small.

And here it is next to a Black Panther minifigure.

And here it is next to my UCS AT-AT.

And last but not least, here it is next to a human-sized Jay for scale. We’re best friends now.

What I liked:

• This set is seriously HUGE
• Will definitely grab your attention
• Build was mostly fun
• This is really an Art set, not a Super Heroes set

What I didn’t like: 

• This is a really expensive set
• No minifigure
• Stickered plaque (c’mon man)
• Not sure if anyone was asking for this

FINAL THOUGHTS:

76215 Black Panther is impressively big, but it begs the question, why does it have to be so large?

While I understand the rationale behind upscaling this model in such a way to offer unprecedented detail, something that Mark Stafford felt he couldn’t quite achieve with the already-established line of Helmet Collection which also has the benefit of being accessible, decently priced and easy to display.

The set feels like it’s here to make a statement about Black Panther, and in that context, it does a great job. It’s so imposing that it is automatically conferred heaps of display presence, and is something that will absolutely grab anyone’s attention, and sure, it could be a great conversation starter.

“You spent US$350 on this?”

The build, and bust-like nature of the set reveals the true nature of 76215 Black Panther – this is really an art set masquerading as a LEGO Super Heroes set.

You’re really building a highly detailed bust, that’s akin to a statue or bust you’d see in a museum, and the more I look at it, the more it’s apparent just how “arty’ it feels.

This entire design feels more like an awesome show-stopping MOC you’d see in a LEGO Convention, than one you can buy off the shelf. If this was on display at any convention, it would definitely create headlines.

The size is also its biggest weakness. A set like this is meant to be a display piece, but I cannot for the life of me think of an ideal place to display it at home.

In my theatre room, it’s almost as tall as my TV, and absolutely dwarves my shelves, and other LEGO sets I have on display, and it just attracts so much unwarranted attention, that it’s really best displayed on its own.

It really makes me think that I need to buy a plinth or pedestal for best results.

This is such an odd set. While I respect the build, design, and what Black Panther ultimately stands for – a symbol of Black/African power, it just seems like this set is targeted at a very narrow, and specific group of people.

If you want a HUGE, set that pays tribute to Black Panther/Chadwick Boseman, and have the space, and spending capacity to get this, then yes, you’ll absolutely have a blast and find joy in this set.

But if you have more practical display needs, love minifigures, and want a more sensible model, and prefer sets that don’t serve as life-sized dust magnets, there are plenty more incredible sets that you can spend your money on.

I also need to bring up future-proofing your collection. At this stage, because of how novel this set is, investing in it is a huge risk. Will LEGO commit to sets at this scale? Can we expect an Iron Man, Spider-Man, or busts from other themes at this scale?

What if you buy this set, and LEGO cans this scale because of how poorly it sold, and now you have a huge black white elephant on display that just looks awkward and stands out in the worst of ways.

My advice – you’ll need to see this set in person, to really appreciate just how big it is, so head into your local LEGO Store on the 1st of October to see it in the flesh to fully make up your mind.

And go with your gut. If you don’t feel the draw of a set like this, you’re probably not the person LEGO had in mind when Mark designed this set.

Rating and score: 2/5 ★★✰✰✰

Build [3] – An engaging build that’s relaxing, but I got so frustrated after awhile getting my eyes lost in black elements
Real Value [2] – It’s expensive, has stickered plaques, and lacks a minifigure
Innovation [3] – I’m really impressed that LEGO would attempt a model at this scale
Coolness [3] – I love what this model stands for, but I wouldn’t call this cool. Impressive, but not cool.
Keepability [2] – Where do I keep this that will do the model justice?

Oh yes, and because it’s life size… it can wear hats, and glasses.

Thanks for reading my review of 76215 Black Panther! I hope this has been useful to help you decide if this set is right for you.

76215 Black Panther will be released on 1 October 2022, and will be available from LEGO.com or your local LEGO Store.

In case you missed it, check out some recent reviews on the blog!

• Review: 71411 The Mighty Bowser
• Review: LEGO 21336 The Office
• Review: LEGO 75571 Neytiri & Thanator vs. AMP Suit Quaritch
• Review: LEGO 21334 Jazz Quartet
• Review: LEGO 76405 Hogwarts Express Collector’s Edition (2022)

What do you think of the Black Panther Bust? Does this appeal to you? Do you want more sets at this scale and price-point?

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Special thanks to the LEGO Group for providing this set for review