Wakanda Forever reimagines an untold future
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Wakanda Forever reimagines an untold future
Photo Illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios. Photos: Jesse Holland, Sheree Renee Thomas Marvel’s “Black Panther” is viewed by many as a win for the culture that T'Challa and his community represent. What happens when the actor who played T'Challa is gone? Why it matters: “”, the long-awaited sequel to Marvel’s first “” movie, is hugely successful, capitalizing on the popularity that created Black America's big screen hero. Driving the news: Earlier this week, reports showed ”Wakanda Forever” had in advance ticket sales. By Sunday, the movie is expected to rake in $350 million globally. The intrigue: “Wakanda Forever” had to move the franchise with a new leader after the death of Chadwick Boseman died of colon cancer in 2020. The beloved actor played T’Challa in the original film.Women are expected to play heightened roles in the new film. What they're saying: “Wakanda Forever” is “something unique” and the sequel “puts Black women first and foremost in a movie,” Jesse Holland, author of , told Axios. Audiences will see greater representation of the , the skilled female warriors of Wakanda, he said“Outside of (Marvel’s X-Men), who has never been the center of any movie, there’s been very few black women portrayed as powerful, independent superheroes.” Flashback: Marvel originally introduced the Black Panther, one of its first Black superheroes. in 1966. That's a year after Malcolm X was killed and President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the . Black Panther in Fantastic Four No. 52 and joined the Avengers in 1968.“This is, frankly, why began,” Holland said. Context: Afrofuturism describes an alternative place for Black people in space or a fantasy setting, or in relation to technology that allows one to escape slavery and discrimination. Between the lines: The new film pushes the limits amid persistent resistance to diversity embraced on the big screen, Sheree Renee Thomas, author of , told Axios.Even in science fiction worlds, surfaced when Disney announced the new live-action version "Little Mermaid" would swap out the mermaid’s famous blue eyes and red hair for the features of Black actress Halle Bailey.“Mermaids . Ancient stories, religious beliefs about merpeople; it’s not a European invention.” Of note: The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture it will debut the exhibition, “Afrofuturism: A History of Black Futures.” One of the highlights will be the Black Panther costume worn by Boseman. Go deeper: Go deeper