Wakanda Forever: a paradigm shift for Hollywood superheroes
Spoiler Alert: This article includes major spoilers for Marvel’s Black Panther, due to be released on March 9, 2018 in China.
“Wakanda Forever!” cried Okoye, leader of the Dora Milaje, rallying T’Challa’s supporters against a rival tribe. Okoye’s fierce dedication to Wakanda and the stunningly realistic war scenes are just two of many reasons to love Marvel’s newest success, Black Panther.
Wakanda has only been briefly mentioned in previous Marvel films, but is introduced in Black Panther as a technologically advanced African country that has observed the world from the shadows for centuries following the discovery of vibranium. This fictional metal allowed for rapid technological development, with scientific and military advancements that pushed Wakanda to the forefront of the world’s powers. An example of Wakanda’s technological developments would be T’Challa’s bulletproof vibranium suit, able to absorb kinetic energy and later redistribute that energy as a lethal force.
The movie revolves around T’Challa’s (Chadwick Boseman) return to Wakanda as the new king following his father T’Chaka’s (John Kani) death in Captain America: Civil War. Accompanying T’Challa is Okoye, the leader of the Dora Milaje- the king’s all-female elite vanguard. Upon their return to Wakanda, T’Challa is greeted by his 16-year-old sister, Shuri (Letita Wright). As the movie progresses, Shuri is revealed to be a genius, developing weapons and technology for the people of Wakanda. As the audience will come to realize, Shuri is also equipped with a razor sharp wit and the knowledge of current day memes. As the T’Challa’s journey as a king progresses, he is challenged by Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan), an outsider. However, it is revealed that Killmonger is T’Challa’s exiled cousin. Surprisingly, Killmonger bests T’Challa in a right of combat and becomes the king, if only briefly. The rightful Black Panther and his impressive ensemble eventually recruit the help of a distant tribe to take back the throne.
Although its only been a week since Black Panther’s premiere, the movie can already be set in stone as one of the best, if not the best, movies in Marvel’s history- and not just because of the moving plot, or even relatable characters. In a time of hate and prejudice, director Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther has revolutionized the perception people have of black superheroes. The love and dedication to the country of Wakanda from T’Challa and his associates are evident throughout the movie, instilling a sense of nationalism throughout the audience. At one critical point in the movie, Okoye states that she would murder her husband for Wakanda. “Would you kill me, my love?” asks W’Kabi. “For Wakanda?” Okoye pondered. “Without question.”
Black Panther’s success will be hard to top as it has already broken Marvel’s box office records with a whopping $404 million in ten days. Black Panther has inspired many people worldwide to celebrate their African heritages, many making the cross-armed sign that has become a staple of the movie. This marks Black Panther as the biggest opening for a black director ever, and has proved that movies don’t need to be catered to a white audience to make profit with a 37% black audience demographic. Again, Black Panther is out March 9th in China.
Featured image Promotional poster for Black Panther Courtesy of David Holt from Flickr