Hollywood's newest superhuman may have just pulled off his first legitimate act of heroism: Outshining real-life basketball icons LeBron James and Steph Curry in an elimination game during the NBA Finals.

On Friday, Marvel debuted the highly-anticipated teaser trailer for "The Black Panther," a spin-off character from the Marvel Cinematic Universe's blockbuster "Avengers" franchise. The movie, which is expected to premiere in February of 2018, centers around King T'Challa, the ruler of the fictional African nation of Wakanda.

Although James's Cleveland Cavaliers were locked in a must-win Game 4 of the NBA Championship, the Black Panther dominated the conversation on social media. With fans titillated by a promotional picture earlier in the day —and seemingly more interested in the trailer than the game — "Black Panther" was the top trending item on Twitter, even as the Cavaliers held a hefty 20-point lead in the 3rd quarter.

The movie stars Chadwick Boseman in the title role, picking up where 2016's "Captain America: Civil War" left off, and also features a list of Hollywood heavyweights like Oscar winner Lupita Nyong'o, Angela Bassett, and Michael B. Jordan.

In the comic book upon which "The Black Panther" is based, Wakanda is a highly advanced civilization, and the only country on the continent never to have been colonized. T'Challa — who was first introduced by Marvel through the "Fantastic Four" series in 1966 — is imbued with superhuman strength, stamina and speed through his connection with a mystical force called the Panther God.

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