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Ten years ago, Marvel Studios launched its cinematic universe with “Iron Man” and struck gold with Robert Downey, Jr.’s bratty bad-boy take on the high-flying superhero. Other quippy fratboy-with-a-heart-of-gold types would follow, including Star-Lord, Ant-Man and Thor. But the latest Marvel superhero to take center stage adheres to the Captain America model: the titular hero of “Black Panther” — picking up where his auspicious debut in “Captain America: Civil War” left off — continues to be an earnest moral paragon challenged by political and personal entanglements.

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CalMatters is a Sacramento-based nonpartisan, nonprofit journalism venture committed to explaining how California's state Capitol works and why it matters. It works with more than 130 media partners throughout the state that have long, deep relationships with their local audiences, including Embarcadero Media.