“That thing unnerves me. I think that one day, artificial intelligence is going to kill us all.”

-Queen Ramonda

This Black Panther: Wakanda Forever quote is not totally wrong. After all, in a lot of books, films, and TV, AI is met with suspicion, contempt or outright dread. In the MCU, Ultron was the epitome of how evil and destructive AI could be. Of course, there were counterparts of this like J.A.R.V.I.S., the faithful AI for Tony Stark who later on becomes Vision and then White Vision (I really want to know where White Vision is chilling at). There’s also F.R.I.D.A.Y., the replacement for J.A.R.V.I.S and of all names, Karen, the AI for Spiderman. Not all suits are created equal, however, as James Rhodes’ War Machine (Don Cheadle) and the new Captain America (Sam Wilson), do not have AI that they talk to.

Oftentimes, these AI have funny moments and provide their heroes with the assistance that they need. But Griot, the AI for Shuri and most of Wakanda, takes the significance of this technology in the MCU to a whole ‘nother level.

The Meaning and Significance of a Griot

First, let’s take a look at that name, Griot. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a griot is “a class of musician-entertainers of western Africa whose performances include tribal histories and genealogies.” Griots functioned as record keepers, historians, and so many other roles. They would also inform their people of news or the village idiot to avoid, through songs or stories. The griot was highly important in their respective societies since a lot of ancient western African cultures relied on the oral tradition, not written. Basically, they were the West African version of Jaskier the Bard on The Witcher, but with much better music. (Yes, I said it. No wonder Henry Cavill left.)

In the same way that griots are there to keep track of events, relay information to people and advise, such is the function of Griot in Wakanda Forever. Griot helps Shuri with a variety of tasks, like synthesizing the vibranium on the bracelet given to her by Namor to remake their heart-shaped herb. It also acts as a translator between Shuri and the Talokanil.

Also, unlike the AI in the other MCU movies, which are usually just for one person and their suit, Griot is the people’s AI. Griot talks and more importantly, assists several characters from Okoye to Queen Ramonda. And it even helps those who are not Wakandan, like Riri Williams and everyone’s favorite colonizer. There are definite parallels between the highly communal nature of many African societies and how Wakanda’s AI functions similarly vs the American ideals of a very individualized AI that usually serves the suit’s owner only. 

It also seems like no small coincidence South African comedian Trevor Noah voices Griot. Noah, the former host of The Daily Show, was in a way, our griot for modern times. He literally told us the news, pop culture, and other current events through entertaining stories and humor. Noah’s role grows exponentially from the first Black Panther, working as a proxy of the late, great Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa. T’Challa was a stabilizing force for Wakanda and Shuri. So with him gone, Shuri relies on Griot for that stability, especially when Namor upends her life. Plus, Trevor is a native speaker of Xhosa, the South African language spoken by Wakandans. 

The Changing Depiction of Africa and Griot’s Importance in the MCU

As a Ghanaian-American, I watch Black Panther and Wakanda Forever with a certain amount of pride. When I moved back to the U.S. in the late ’90s, anything directly or indirectly associated with Africa got intense ridicule. But the lack of specificity annoyed me the most, with Africa being seen as this big blob without discerning culture, language or identity. There was no acknowledgment or investment in the cultural richness and humanity of our people, just the riches of the land and the labor of the people. Those prejudices usually came from a place of apathy at best and at its worst, racism.

Those prejudices against Africa obviously still exist, but I believe those preconceptions have improved somewhat. Beyoncé (‘nuff said) worked with a plethora of African musicians for her successful soundtrack album, The Lion King: The Gift. Just last year, The Woman King—starring Viola Davis and with direction by Gina Prince-Bythewood—became a box office hit film about the fearsome Agojie (whom the Dora Milaje are based on), the all-female warriors from the Kingdom of Dahomey (now modern-day Benin in West Africa).

In the same way as those titles, the Black Panther franchise has helped shift derisive views of Africa. Wakanda is not a real place; however, there is nothing artificial about the warm place it held in our hearts and minds. There is so much intentional thought in their clothes, speech, and AI. Unlike my childhood memories of American perceptions of Africa, there is no lack of specificity here.

There is a specific reason why this AI’s name is Griot. There is a specific reason why Trevor Noah plays Griot and why the communal nature of Griot gets emphasis. Wakanda Forever shows that when something’s done with consideration and care, it transcends its particular medium to mean much more. Queen Ramonda may feel a little nervous about Shuri using Griot. But I wish she could see it the way my 12 year old self would see it: as African Intelligence.

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It all started with a conversation. My sister had just seen the movie Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. I saw it before her and told her that it was good, but she would need to have the tissues ready. She definitely cried and raved about the cinematography, Rihanna finally blessing us with new music, and that she would do anything for AND to Namor. And then she referred to a very specific scene. As she talked about it, all I could think was, “How the hell did I miss that?!”

The next time I saw it, I made the “Home Alone face,” marveling (pun definitely intended) at how Wakanda Forever stands tall amongst a few other films that show Black women (notably dark-skinned Black women) in power while doing its best to fight against the seemingly relentless onslaught of misogynoir (which is contempt, disdain, and prejudice against Black women) both in fictional and real worlds.

The scene happens in third act after the death of Queen Ramonda. Shuri, the new Black Panther, plans to lure the Talokanil and Namor into a trap. The Wakandans are on an imposing ship that could probably withstand Alioth. The Dora Milaje tie ropes around their waists and the men of the Jabari tribe, led by M’Baku, hold them while they vault over the side of the ship to fight the Talokanil. After the fight, the Jabari men pull them back up.

Wakanda Forever doesn’t present this scene with a lot of fanfare or flash. There are bigger and more grandiose moments, like Queen Ramonda’s speech to the UN or Shuri’s introduction as the Black Panther. I remembered seeing it; however, it didn’t register for me the way it did for my sister. It is no surprise that my sister—a queer, dark-skinned Black woman—would catch a scene so simple and yet so meaningful in a way that I—a Black cishet man—didn’t.

It wasn’t a vital moment but it enhanced the film in a measurable way. Wakanda is a place that is regularly lauded for its incredible feats of technology. The Midnight Angels can fly. The Black Panther suit can absorb kinetic energy and expel it. So tying a rope around a fighter’s waist is quite primitive for Wakanda’s standards. But this happens intentionally to show a necessary weapon against misogynoir: the unflinching support of Black men.

The M’baku and his Jabari tribe we meet in the first Black Panther movie were outsiders of Wakanda. They were brash, arrogant and, just like the ape god they worship, Hanuman, mighty. But even with this seemingly brutish representation of manhood, they were the tribe that gave Queen Ramonda safe haven during the reign of Killmonger. Did the Merchant tribe that come to the rescue when it looked like T’Challa and his allies would be defeated by the Border tribe and Killmonger? Nope, it was the men and women of the Jabari. Then, in Wakanda Forever, their softer side is further revealed by the gentle counsel M’Baku gives to Shuri. She’s seething with hatred and plotting her revenge against Namor and his people. But M’Baku is there to provide, advise and later, even as big and powerful as he is, acquiesce to her. 

That is why that scene, showing the big, strong Jabari men standing firm while the Dora Milaje battle is so powerful and resonant. It is a culmination of those scenes before it. It shows power deferred without ceding strength. Only men that are insecure and internally weak would have a problem being asked to hold up these female warriors while they fight. Wakanda Forever eschews paternalistic viewpoints and shows equality without being preachy about it. The Jabari men were intimately involved with the fight, but just in a different way. That is why patriarchy can be viewed as a gilded cage. Even though it purports to be a way of life that will make men better, stronger or, at its dumbest, more “manlier,” it actually significantly diminishes the many ways that men and women can come together. It only allows room for recognizing an antiquated and archaic binary.

Malcolm X said eloquently and presciently: “The most disrespected person on Earth is a Black woman.” And we see that happening in real-time. There’s been recent hatred towards high-profile Black women like Megan Thee Stallion, who was subject to attacks during her trial against Tory Lanez, a Canadian rapper found guilty of shooting her in the foot. The misogynoir was so virulent, one of the chief perpetrators, 50 Cent, issued a half-hearted apology for his callous behavior.

Many times, men, for the most part, have tried to individualize or minimize misogyny. It is portrayed to be just leering, creepy men catcalling a vulnerable woman on the street. (And even that can have its racist messaging underneath.) It is a tactic used by those in power to show that there is not a problem with the system or institution, but instead with just one “bad apple.” And once that “bad apple” is dealt with, all is forgiven and solved.

It takes any scrutiny away from them, allowing further protests to be soothed with performative gestures, which can feel like a constant deluge with no end in sight.  There have been many examples of how lucrative, pervasive and extensive misogyny is. That is why it continues. Not just because of a few individuals that still haven’t got the memos, but because a lot of inequitable power structures have been built on it. And there are some people that would like to see that structure—as unsound and faulty as it may be—keep standing. In reality, the world would benefit from a different structure and mindsets around gender like what we see in Wakanda Forever.

A few fictional projects have recently tried to take swipes at those structures in hopes of shifting mindsets. Outside of the obviously great portrayal of the Dora Milaje in MCU, shows like She-Hulk and Ms. Marvel are led by strong, capable women and girls while giving them nuance through their vulnerability and imperfections. The Woman King has also brought up difficult subjects like misogynoir and patriarchy while deftly handling the transatlantic slave trade from a West African perspective. Of course, in a white male dominated industry, there were no Oscar nominations for a female director and The Woman King, with its explicit depictions of violence against racist white men, was completely shut out.

When Wakanda Forever hits streaming, I will be there with popcorn (and rum & Coke) in hand to enjoy it again. I will clap when I see Oscar-nominated Angela Bassett grace the screen. (Sidenote: The fact that she only has TWO Oscar nominations in more than four decades as an actress is criminal.) But I will also be watching my sister, who didn’t just enjoy the film for its amazing acting, grand set pieces and engaging story. She also loved those moments of Black men being vulnerable and supportive without feeling like it somehow compromises their masculinity and women who resemble her taking charge, fighting, struggling, mourning and triumphing without the additional weight of patriarchy nor misogynoir. And it’s something that we all need to see.

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Ever since Black Panther changed the cinematic landscape in 2018, fans have been clamoring for the return of the hero. But in the wake of the death of Chadwick Boseman, who so memorably brought King T’Challa to life, there remained the question of who would on the mantle of Black Panther when the highly-awaited sequel hits screens. The release of Wakanda Forever, of course, brought answers. As many fans suspected, it is T’Challa’s sister Shuri who is the new MCU Black Panther. This was always a pretty smart guess, though, especially if we look at her comic backstory. Here’s a rundown of Shuri’s relationship to the mantle of Black Panther.

Has Shuri Been the Black Panther in Marvel’s Comic Books?

Shuri was first introduced in 2005’s Black Panther Vol. 4 #2, created by Reginald Hudlin and artist John Romita Jr. Just like in the movies, T’Challa’s younger sister is a powerful, funny, smart sibling to the Black Panther. But it wasn’t until nearly five years later in Black Panther Vol. 5 #5 when she’d take on the mantle of Black Panther herself. This came about during the Dark Reign saga at Marvel. As Norman Osborn gathered his Cabal, Namor asked T’Challa to join them in the fight. Soon, after the King refused, his ship crashed. This left T’Challa in a coma and Wakanda without a Black Panther. T’Challa’s wife, the X-Men hero Storm, suggests Shuri become the Black Panther in his stead. It makes a lot of sense as he’s long been training his sister to take his place. But when Shuri visits the Panther God, she refuses to let her take the mantle of Black Panther, claiming that she’s too arrogant.

Despite this rejection of Shuri, the Panther God allows her to live. That goes against everything the Wakandans expect, so Shuri decides it’s because she still has a greater purpose. With her brother in a coma, Storm in Limbo trying to recover him, and the evil Morlun encroaching on her country, she puts on the Black Panther costume and goes out to protect her people. It’s a controversial choice as Bast refused her, but it also gives Shuri more agency than her brother. After her bravery and smart wits defeat Morlun and save T’Challa and Storm from the underworld, the Panther God finally recognizes Shuri as the new Black Panther.

How Did Shuri Get Her Black Panther Suit in Marvel Comics?

It’s unclear how Shuri got her Black Panther suit, as the suit simply exists when Shuri puts it on. That makes us think that she may have built it herself. Just like her brother’s iconic suit, it’s made of vibranium but is more form-fitting, especially in the eyes of series artist Ken Lashley and cover artist J. Scott Campbell. The biggest visual differences from T’Challa’s Black Panther suit are that Shuri has a slimmer helmet (which looks similar to the one Marvel Studios teased on their poster), cape, and a now instantly recognizable fur collar. In issue eight of the series, Shuri’s Black Panther suits gets many upgrades too. One of her Wakandan scientists, N’Iix, offers her weapons. These include “holopods, spider bites, desert sand, and shok-nets.”

The coolest part, though, are the kevlar and spider-silk mesh gloves, with adamantium-tipped, vibranium claws. Perhaps we could see the arrival of the metal, most closely connected to Wolverine, in Wakanda Forever?

Shuri as the New Black Panther in the MCU

Ever since Letitia Wright’s breakout performance in Black Panther, fans wondered whether she’d take on the mantle; would Shuri become the new Black Panther in the MCU? With Boseman’s tragic passing, Shuri seemed more likely than ever to follow in his footsteps. And indeed, she did. This choice not only fits with the comic book canon, but it falls in line with Marvel Studio’s current era of exploring legacy heroes.

We saw in early trailers that the new MCU Black Panther had a suit with markings that mirrored Shuri’s ceremonial white dots. And Shuri also keeps her favored gauntlets as her Black Panther weapons of choice. In Wakanda Forever, Shuri takes on the role of Black Panther but forgoes the crown. The Black Panther is greatly needed in the conflict with Atlantis, but where the mantle goes from here throughout the future of the MCU is not certain.

Of course, Shuri is not the only person in the comics to have donned the mantle of Black Panther. Among the few who have been called Black Panther are NYC cop Kasper Cole, T’Chaka (T’Challa’s father), and even Erik Killmonger. In fact, a new upcoming Marvel comic book series Wakanda will be a “definitive overview of all the Wakandans who have held the mantle of the Black Panther.”

But it seems like the most likely candidate for the next Black Panther will be a new MCU character, T’Challa’s son Toussaint, also known as T’Challa. Before that happens, though, it would be nice to see a few more outings for Shuri as the Black Panther in the MCU. Maybe she’ll even get to meet Bast.

Originally published on July 26, 2022.

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In Chadwick Boseman’s first appearance as the Black Panther, T’Challa tells Steve Rogers, “The Black Panther has been the protector of Wakanda for generations. A mantle passed from warrior to warrior.” Just as T’Challa’s father, T’Chaka, was once the Black Panther and passed the mantle onto his son, in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the title changes hands again. After Chadwick Boseman’s heartbreaking death, and thus, T’Challa’s death, Wakanda is in need of a new Black Panther. As T’Challa himself knew, the title is not one person or one warrior but passes on so that Wakanda can remain protected and defended. But who is the new MCU Black Panther in Wakanda Forever? Many of us already strongly suspected who the next defender of Wakanda could be after watching the trailers for the movie, but now it’s official.

Of course, the MCU’s newest Black Panther is none other than the Princess Shuri, herself. We couldn’t imagine a person more deserving of holding the mantle in the wake of T’Challa’s passing. Shuri is a brilliant scientist and a terrific warrior. But most importantly, she has a compassionate heart and deep, fierce love for her family and nation. (Even if she briefly lost her way in a tsunami of grief, rage, and vengeance.) There’s no doubt Shuri will make for an incredible protector of Wakanda for as long as she holds the title in the MCU. Shuri also has a rich comics history with the role of Black Panther, which future movies will likely delve deeply into.

Shuri’s ascent to Black Panther in Wakanda Forever is bittersweet. In the world of the MCU, we learn retroactively T’Challa’s illness existed for some time. The disease T’Challa suffered from remains unspecified, but Wakanda Forever makes it clear this was not a sudden death. For Shuri’s part, of course, the tech genius sought to save her brother. But unfortunately, not even the brightest minds can always find an answer.

Shuri was unable to genetically engineer and 3D print a new Heart-Shaped Herb to save T’Challa. The Heart-Shaped Herb possesses many powerful qualities. And in the world of the MCU, ingesting/imbibing another one may have saved T’Challa’s life. But Erik Killmonger destroyed Wakanda’s garden of herbs in the first Black Panther movie. The Heart-Shaped Herb, of course, is also necessary to enshrine new Black Panthers. It grants them their superpowers of speed, agility, and healing, among others.

Ultimately though, once another highly advanced civilization, Talokan, enters the world of the MCU in Wakanda Forever, everything changes. Shuri and her AI computer are able to recreate the heart-shaped herb using a bracelet Shuri receives from Namor. The bracelet contains fibers that come from the same type of vibranium-rich soil as the herb. Along with Shuri’s intellect, the materials are enough for the herb to be restored. And from there, with the help of Nakia, Shuri rises as the Black Panther in the MCU.

We hope that Shuri can have a long run as the warrior protector of Wakanda. But in a lovely move, Shuri also plants a new garden of heart-shaped herbs at the end of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Thus, Shuri ensures that, though she is Wakanda’s new Black Panther, the kingdom will always have its protector, from generation to generation.

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Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has radically expanded the potential of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Its presentation of Namor the Sub-Mariner proves that it is ready for the X-Men. Though Namor isn’t the first mutant to appear in the MCU, his particular condition as a Meso-American survivor of Spanish imperialism speaks to the core themes of the X-Men comics. And since Black Panther: Wakanda Forever depicts the complexities of liberation amidst the threat of imperialism, it is the perfect vessel to pilot what the MCU’s X-Men can offer. 

Wakanda Forever follows Princess Shuri and Queen Ramonda as they grieve the loss of King T’Challa. At the same time, their country is in a tense era of international politics, as countries like the United States and France are suspicious of their supply of vibranium. This comes to a head when a covert American operation to find more vibranium threatens the underwater kingdom of Talokan. Its leader, Namor, vows to destroy the surface world to prevent the continued genocide of his people. It then must fall on Shuri to choose if Wakanda’s fate lies with Talokan, or the rest of the world.

Beyond just having Namor, a mutant, in the film, Wakanda Forever beautifully sets up what an X-Men movie could look like in the MCU through its handling of political topics. This is primarily achieved through its reenvisioning of Namor’s identity. Namor has explicitly been non-white in the comics, vocally declaring a vendetta against all white men from the very beginning. However, his arched eyebrows and racially-ambiguous appearance never pointed to a specific human culture he had ancestry from. 

Wakanda Forever takes a much firmer stance. It rewrites his comics origin by making him the protector of an Indigenous community in the Yucatan. Known to his people as K’uk’ulkan, the Sub-Mariner got the name “Namor” when a Spanish missionary called him “el niño sin amor.” Thus, Namor’s Indigenous background is an integral part of his character in the MCU. Beyond the fact that Tenoch Huerta, an Indigenous actor, plays Namor, his politics, anxieties, and hopes for his people stem from his experiences with Spanish imperialism. 

This characterization of Namor is significant, because it echoes the principles that have guided X-Men comics for nearly 50 years now. While the X-Men had been around in Marvel Comics since 1963, they were revolutionized in the mid-1970s. Beginning with 1975’s Giant-Size X-Men #1 by Len Wein and Dave Cockrum, and continuing through writer Chris Claremont’s legendary X-Men and New Mutants runs, the X-Men focused heavily on the unique ethnic and cultural backgrounds of its characters.

Previously, the team had been largely white American. However, with the introduction of mutants from around the world like Storm (of Kenyan descent), Colossus (Russian), and Nightcrawler (a Catholic from Germany), in addition to Indigenous mutants like Thunderbird (Apache), the X-Men found their footing with a more diverse cast. While the cast of Giant-Size X-Men may not seem as diverse by 2022 standards, it was revolutionary at the time to feature Russian and German characters who weren’t villains. 

By approaching Marvel’s Merry Mutants through a culturally-conscious lens, X-Men comics tied mutant identity to contemporary political issues. Since mutations either manifested from birth, or later in life in response to extreme stress, they came to reflect unique problems faced by marginalized groups. For instance, New Mutants member Karma (Xi’an Coy Manh) gained her ability to possess people during the Vietnam War. She took control of a North Vietnamese soldier who was about to kill her younger brother. For many X-Men characters, their mutant identities and marginalized identities are deeply entwined. By grounding mutants within the lived experiences of people from around the world, Claremont’s X-Men illustrated how mutant identity was not monolithic. 

And yet, this straightforward handling of Namor’s cultural background is something the X-Men films have largely shied away from. With the exception of Magneto, a Jewish Holocaust survivor, the X-Men films left out the comics’ emphasis on cultural specificity. Banshee, an Irish mutant whose wife died in Northern Ireland during the Troubles, was American in X-Men: First Class. More troublingly, Sunspot, an Afro-Brazilian mutant who got his powers while defending himself from anti-Black racism, has never been played by an Afro-Brazilian actor. Beyond just whitewashing, the omission of these characters’ identities also omits their political perspectives as mutants. Thus, the discourse in the Fox films is limited by a white American sense of homogeny. 

As such, the MCU should use Wakanda Forever’s vision of Namor as the basis for assembling its X-Men cast. Fox’s X-Men films went astray when they stopped exploring the complexities in the fight for liberation. This is the essential drama of the comics, and the essential drama of Wakanda Forever. Magneto may be a standout character, as a radical militant Holocaust survivor, but he’s so much better when he’s in the company of other mutants whose identities enrich the metaphor. By taking a culturally-conscious route, the MCU’s X-Men can embody the comics’ most radical idea. A diverse group of marginalized people can lead the world to a better place, without flattening out the differences between them. 

Overall, Wakanda Forever proves that the MCU can handle topics like imperialism and genocide in a setting that is both fantastical and politically engaged. These elements are also the core of Marvel’s current era of X-Men comics. The radical reimagining of Namor proves the MCU has the capacity to fully commit to the cultural specificities guiding X-Men. But more than that, it can truly thrive when it embraces complexity over uniformity.

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The Dora Milaje are the most elite fighting force in Wakanda, an army of women loyal to the death to their kingdom’s ruler. These elite bodyguards have existed in the comics since the late ‘90s, and have become pop culture icons since their introduction in the MCU. But as Black Panther: Wakanda Forever revealed, there is an elite force within the elite force, Marvel’s Midnight Angels. They were one of the definite highlights of the film.

If the Dora Milaje of Wakanda are the best warriors on Earth, then Marvel’s Midnight Angels are the best of the best of them. While the Dora exist to protect the sovereign, the Midnight Angels protect the people of the kingdom and the people’s best interests—sometimes against what the royal family wants. But who are the Midnight Angels beyond that? Here is the Marvel Comics history of the Midnight Angels and how it ties into their MCU counterparts.

Marvel Created the Midnight Angels to Fight Dr. Doom

The elite Midnight Angels first appeared in Marvel’s Doomwar #5, back in 2010. The creative team of Jonathan Maberry and Scott Eaton created them. The Doomwar story centered on Dr. Doom attempting to steal all the vibranium from Wakanda. King T’Challa originally formed the the group, hoping his elite strike team could take out Doom themselves (with a little help from Deadpool).

Marvel Comics’ Midnight Angels wore winged stealth suits and carried electric weapons. They gave the wearer advanced abilities, like strength and agility, along with flight. They, of course, made all their suits of pure vibranium. The warriors all communicated with one another through their Kimoyo beads and responded to direct threats to the Wakandan royals. In the pages of the comics, their headmistress Zola trained them, and among their most prominent members were Dora Milajemembers like Ayo and Aneka. The team went on covert missions aboard their own Avengers-like Quinjet, which they called the Dagger.

Dora Milaje Gone Rogue Form a New Team

In the comics, Aneka and Ayo began to have issues with T’Challa and the royal family—particularly with some of the decisions they made. Aneka took justice into her own hands against a terrible tribal warlord, killing him. Because she went against the code of the Dora, they stripped the Dora Milaje title from her and imprisoned her. But her fellow Dora and love, Ayo, stole the Midnight Angels prototype armor and busted her out of jail. The couple became a new Midnight Angels squad and swore to protect Wakandans without the backing of the royal family.

The Midnight Angels in the MCU

In Wakanda Forever, the MCU’s Midnight Angels have a very similar look and backstory. Shuri was developing a new armor called Midnight Angel at the start of the film. When the second attack from Namor and his Talokan forces happens on Wakanda, we see the armor in action. Unlike the comics though, it was not Aneka or Ayo who wore it first. The movie gave much of Aneka’s Marvel Comics arc—her being stripped of her rank and disgraced, and then becoming a Midnight Angel—to Okoye. Although Aneka and Ayo are still a part of the story and get to wear Midnight Angel armor, their main story beats go to the general.

At the end of Wakanda Forever, it appears Okoye still has her armor. We see her bust Everett Ross out of incarceration wearing it. It’s likely that when she gets her own series or film, as has been announced, the title will be Midnight Angel, and we’ll see her in the armor again. Given that Okoye called the armor “ugly,” we imagine it will get an upgrade or two. We think she’s earned whatever armor upgrades she wants.

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The beginning of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever starts with the death of King T’Challa, throwing the whole nation into disarray. His mother, Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), assumed her duties as Wakanda’s sovereign ruler despite her grief. But problems beset her reign, including the governments of the world trying to obtain Wakanda’s vibranium and then with Namor and the Kingdom of Talokan waging war on them. Ultimately, in a brazen attack on Wakanda, Namor took Ramonda’s life. Then the line of succession really came into question and we were left wondering who Wakanda’s new ruler would be. In the end of Wakanda Forever, M’Baku became Wakanda’s new king. Here’s how it all shook out in the end when it came to Wakanda’s throne.

The Black Panther Is Not Always Wakanda’s Ruler

Traditionally, the ruler of Wakanda is often also the nation’s protector, the Black Panther. But sometimes, those roles are separate. When King T’Chaka grew too old to be Black Panther, his son T’Challa assumed the role. When we met T’Challa in Civil War, he was already the Panther. That was even before he was crowned king. Towards the final act of Wakanda Forever, his sister Shuri (Letitia Wright) recreated the Heart-Shaped Herb synthetically and became the new Black Panther. However, she did not take the throne. Instead, fan-favorite M’Baku, played by Winston Duke, ascended to the throne to become Wakanda’s new king.

M’Baku Is Wakanda’s New King (For Now) in Wakanda Forever

Shuri decided not to appear at the crowing ceremony after choosing to ally herself with Talokan. She sent M’Baku of the Jabari (Winston Duke) in her place to take the throne. While we don’t see what happens in the actual crowning ceremony, we don’t think anyone has the gumption to fight M’Baku for the throne.

Winston Duke himself discussed M’Baku’s Wakanda Forever journey. He noted, “It’s kind of cool, though, being revealed as the King of Wakanda at the end of the movie… That’s huge. So, whatever that entails, it’s gonna be a fun one.”

In addition to this confirmation, we know that M’Baku became a staunch ally of T’Challa in the aftermath of the first Black Panther film, as seen in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. In Wakanda Forever, he showed solid judgment and a diplomatic sensibility that befits the throne. We’d like to think that, at this point, the people of Wakanda would gladly welcome him as their ruler. M’Baku has more than proven himself worthy of being Wakanda’s king.

Prince T’Challa II Could Become King of Wakanda After M’Baku

Of course, M’Baku is merely the steward of Wakanda’s throne for the foreseeable future. Because as the mid-credits sequence informed us, Nakia and T’Challa had a son, a child they kept secret from the eyes of the Wakandan ruling council. Given that young Toussaint (or T’Challa II, as is his royal name) was about six when we met him, it’s safe to say that he was born about a year after the events of Black Panther, so right before the Blip. Nakia, T’Challa, and Ramonda wanted him raised away from the pressures of the throne, so Nakia took him to Haiti. He is next in line to succeed M’Baku as king when he comes of age.

Will We See Adult T’Challa II Sooner Rather Than Later?

Now, you may be thinking that this means it’ll be at least a decade before we see T’Challa II take the throne and the Black Panther mantle. However, this is the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Alternate timeline shenanigans are coming up soon in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars. It would not be beyond the realm of possibility for time-traveling warlord Kang to take young T’Challa II (and perhaps other children of famous MCU heroes) to a place where time flows differently. They might emerge in our time instantly as young adults, or even older. We have a precedent in the comics, too, although it’s with a different character.

Marvel Comics did this with the character of Cable. He was the infant son of the X-Men’s Cyclops’ and Jean Grey’s clone, who barely had time to be a child. He was whisked away to an alternate future, and then emerged as the adult warrior Cable in our time. Don’t be surprised if the MCU pulls something like this with young T’Challa, if only so that he can be our Black Panther in a potential third film. But in the meantime, the ruler and king of Wakanda is still M’Baku. The outside world had better proceed with caution.

Originally published on November 14, 2022.

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Black Panther: Wakanda Forever may have introduced Namor as its most nuanced villain yet. But it also revealed the true villain of this next phase of the MCU: CIA director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. First appearing in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) has been a mysterious figure. She brought characters like U.S. Agent and Black Widow’s Yelena Belova to her Thunderbolts team. This is similar to how Nick Fury appeared in post-credit scenes in Phase One MCU films, leading to the first Avengers team in the MCU. But as Wakanda Forever shows, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine is actually the next big villain in the MCU. 

Wakanda Forever captures Black Panther’s nation at a watershed moment in international politics. The nation’s secret supply of vibranium now public information. And imperial superpowers like the United States want to obtain the most valuable natural resource in the world. Tensions escalate further when the US blames Wakanda for attacking an American ship that was looking for vibranium. As it turns out, the technology powering the Americans’ search came from 19-year-old Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne). This has placed her in the sights of both Wakanda and the underwater kingdom of Talokan. With Wakanda’s public image under threat, the nation’s only foreign ally is CIA agent Everett Ross (Martin Freeman), the ex-husband of de Fontaine. 

The film’s biggest battles are fought between Shuri’s Wakanda and Namor’s Talokan; however, their real enemy is Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. Both Shuri and Namor fear that their nations will be exploited by Western powers for their vibranium. We soon discover that their fears are valid. Valentina Allegra de Fontaine later explosively admits in a very MCU-villany way that she “dreams” of a world where the United States controls the global supply of vibranium. In a meeting with her colleagues at the CIA, including Ross, de Fontaine is eager to go to war with Wakanda if it means gaining their vibranium. As such, Wakanda Forever paints de Fontaine’s true motivations as deeply imperialistic. 

While imperialism isn’t new in the MCU, de Fontaine’s embodiment of it is. Previously, the MCU has represented imperialism through aliens like Thanos and Thor: Ragnarok’s Hela. Despite their horrifying actions, these villains’ imperialism was presented with a degree of removal because of the fact that they weren’t human. It’s easier to ignore the similarities between Thanos’ paternalistic rhetoric in Avengers: Infinity War and the United States’ history when the former is an eight foot tall alien with purple skin. This violent human operation can be dismissed as pure fiction. 

But Valentina Allegra de Fontaine is drastically different for one reason: she’s human. And more than that, her appearance goes against the villainy that the MCU has conditioned fans to recognize. De Fontaine’s purple streak of hair, “girlboss” attitude, and performance by Julia Louis-Dreyfus lulls fans into a false sense of security. She’s quirky, so she can’t be that evil, even if she’s the director of the CIA, right? How bad can Elaine from Seinfeld be when U.S. Agent is running around murdering people in broad daylight? 

And this is precisely the point. By dressing up de Fontaine’s imperialism under the guise of a quirky white American woman, Wakanda Forever continues Black Panther’s damning exposé of audience expectations. Neither Namor nor Killmonger were the true villains of either Black Panther film. The common evil denominator is US imperialism. Agent Ross admitted that Killmonger learned how to enter and destabilize countries like Wakanda from the American military. Namor is only at war with Wakanda because an American ship of Navy SEALs threatened his underwater kingdom, and blamed it on Wakanda. 

De Fontaine’s grinning face and affinity for Peloton is a veneer that places her squarely within a recognizable world for the audience. In doing so, Wakanda Forever makes a point to say that this villain is more like us than we want to admit to. While Tony Stark was having anxiety attacks in Iron Man 3 about the Chitauri invasion from Avengers, a real threat to global stability was percolating in Virginia. Audiences were taught to fear Ultron and other robots because of their callous nature and capacity for violence. But we see those same behaviors by de Fontaine in Wakanda Forever. The call is coming from inside the house. 

This change breaks a crucial rule about the MCU’s representation of the American government. Before, in films like Captain America: The Winter Soldier, villains in the US government were “bad apples” in a good bunch. Robert Redford’s Alexander Pierce is a uniquely bad person within the World Security Council. He’s an evil that “good” people like SHIELD director Nick Fury must balance out. Pierce was an anomaly working covertly within the system for nefarious purposes, but de Fontaine is much different. She’s an evil person with support and subsequent enablement by the system and American foreign policy.

De Fontaine isn’t unique. She’s simply a reflection of American interests in the twenty-first century. It is fitting then that she is the one who handcuffs Ross, the only “good” CIA agent, in his own home for his treasonous decision to aid the Wakandans. The role that de Fontaine plays in Wakanda Forever hints at the important shift for women in the MCU’s future. Though the MCU has more female heroes, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine’s turn as a villain is refreshing.

In many ways, de Fontaine is the foil of Lupita Nyong’o’s Nakia, an early advocate for Wakanda’s global outreach programs. In this sense, characters’ feelings towards vibranium are now the perfect litmus test for separating the good from the bad. By revealing to the world the secret behind their technological innovation, Wakanda learned who their true enemies are. And as Wakanda Forever evidences, they are much closer than they thought. Let’s see how de Fontaine plays into Phase 5 of the MCU.

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In the MCU, we now have a new world power to contend with, the underwater nation of Talokan. In Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, we learn that Talokan is essentially the replacement for the Kingdom of Atlantis from the Marvel comics universe. Both cultures are hidden underwater cities with water-breathing populations. However, there are some significant differences. Chiefly, instead of in the Atlantic (or the arctic), the MCU’s Talokan is located in Yucatan area. But in both cases, their sovereign ruler is the man called Namor, who is both noble and unforgiving. Here’s what Wakanda Forever taught us about the powerful nation of Talokan.

Talokan Replaces Marvel Comics’ Atlantis in the MCU

Wakanda Forever‘s kingdom of Talokan does not exist in Marvel Comics. Instead, Marvel’s Atlantis is a small continent with a highly advanced civilization. The cosmic beings known as the Celestials caused a cataclysm thousands of years ago, one which resulted in its sinking into the oceans. For centuries, the remnants of that culture lay in ruins on the ocean floor. Later, a water-breathing offshoot of humanity called Homo mermanus, possibly created by the Celestials themselves, migrated to the remains of Atlantis. They created a new culture there, one which eventually gave birth to Prince Namor. However, although the MCU has no Atlantis per se, the underwater civilization of Talokan takes its place in Wakanda Forever and has many similarities to Atlantis. Including a water-breathing race. But there are also just as many differences.

The History of Wakanda Forever‘s Kingdom of Talokan

The name of Marvel’s new underwater kingdom of Talokan is based on Mexican mythology. Specifically, Talokan is inspired by Tlālōcān, a city ruled by the rain god Tlāloc. In ancient Aztec culture, the city was an afterlife destination for anyone who perished by drowning or by lightning. In the MCU, Talokan has become the replacement for Atlantis as their underwater civilization. Namor, the Sub-Mariner, rules this hidden kingdom. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever suggests that Talokan came into existence after a fragment of the meteor that gave Wakanda vibranium, or another similar meteor, landed in the part of the world where Mesoamerican culture flourished. This ties rival nations Wakanda and Talokan together in a way the comics never did with Wakanda and Atlantis.

While speaking with Princess Shuri in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Namor tells her his MCU origin story, as well as the origin story of Marvel’s Talokan. Some 500 years prior, his mother was a member of a tribe in the Yucatan area of what is now Mexico. This tribe was terrorized by Spanish colonists and tried to escape from them. Each member of the tribe drank a special herb from a glowing plant that looked just like the ones we know from Wakanda. This plant gave them the power to breathe underwater, but they could no longer survive on the surface. Centuries later, with breathing apparatus, they could emerge from the depths. But their skin would turn blue on contact with air. Only Namor was different from the rest of his tribe.

Namor, the MCU’s First Mutant

Namor’s mother was pregnant when she ingested the herb. And in Wakanda Forever, we see how he became the first child born underwater in Talokan. But possibly due to his being just a fetus, when the herb entered his body, he came out a bit different. A mutant. Namor could survive underwater as well as on the surface without assistance and could fly due to the tiny wings on his feet. He also had super strength and durability. All part of his mutation, a mutation no doubt connected to the herb.

Under Namor’s rule, the people of Talokan have harnessed the power of the oceans, and in some cases, sea life itself, to their advantage. In the finale of the film, we see them ride whales into battle. They are fierce warriors, although who they have actually fought against is a mystery. They seem almost totally isolated, even more than the Wakandans. Talokan also carries over the languages and myths of Mesoamerican cultures they sprang from, like the Mayans and Aztecs. Namor himself has the name Ku’ku’lkán, the feathered serpent god, a real Mayan deity. We also see the people of Talokan have a special gesture and phrase they perform to honor Talokan and one another. Their mantra of “Líik’ik Talokan” or “Rise Talokan” and the accompanying hand motions appear based on Mesoamerican codices.

At the end of Wakanda Forever, Talokan still has designs on conquering the surface world. It remains an open question as to whether they stay adversaries to humanity or eventually become its allies.

Originally published on November 11, 2022.

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Black Panther: Wakanda Forever had plenty of surprises, but one unexpected development will impact the entire MCU going forward. The movie upended what we thought we knew about a certain shadowy figure. Turns out they are far more dangerous than we realized because they already wield far more power than we ever expected. Who is this person, and what does this revelation mean for the franchise?

We’ll tell you all about them and what this revelation means, but we have to spoil a major Wakanda Forever surprise to do so.

Valentina Allegra de Fontaine: Deputy Director of the CIA

In a film that had a secret son and an unexpected cameo from a dead villain, Black Panther 2‘s biggest surprise was that Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine officially works for the United States government. She’s not part of some furtive, underground organization like we thought because her previous MCU appearances showed her working with a disgraced superhero and an international assassin. But even more shocking is that “Val” is Deputy Director of the CIA. Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine is not a Black Ops figure or spy running a secret group for the agency. She’s a public figure and one of the most powerful people in the country.

That not only reframes her entire story, it changes her earlier interactions in the franchise. And it fundamentally impacts Marvel Studios’ upcoming Thunderbolts.

Contessa Recruits John Walker

Julia Louis-Dreyfus’s Val made her MCU debut on Disney+’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. She approached the disgraced John Walker in episode five after the government stripped him of both his title as Captain America and his military rank. Unlike the government’s public display of anger and disgust, Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine supported Walker’s extrajudicial killing of a Flag Smasher super soldier. She also told Walker his actions made him very valuable to certain unnamed people.

Contessa Valentina also made reference to a “dirty” state secret about the legal gray area of ownership of Captain America’s shield. But there was no way to assume that meant she worked for the CIA or any U.S. government agency.

In the next episode, Val also recruited Walker to become US Agent. That’s when told him “things are about to get weird,” and when they do “they” won’t need Captain America, they’ll need a US Agent. The “they” Contessa Valentina referenced now seems to have been United States officials.

It’s easy to imagine why the CIA would want its own superhero group. As General Ross learned over the years, the Avengers are all but impossible to control. The Sokovia Accords were a disaster that don’t even appear to matter to the world anymore. John Walker, someone willing to cross lines Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson never would, gives the CIA a super soldier it can send on sinister missions.

But it was Contessa Valentina’s second MCU appearance that is now far more ominous after Wakanda Forever.

Valentina Allegra de Fontaine Contracts Yelena Belova to Kill Hawkeye

Val returned to the MCU during Black Widow‘s post-credits scene. She surprised Yelena Belova at Natasha’s gravesite. That scene revealed Yelena works for Val, though the exact nature of the missions was not specified. But it’s easy to imagine Contessa Valentina uses the former MCU Black Widow as an assassin since she sent Yelena out to kill Clint Barnes.

And now that we know the Deputy Director of the CIA, rather than an independent contractor, put out a hit on a famous Avenger, it raises questions that will change the entire MCU.

Is the U.S. Government Trying To Kill Avengers?

Wakanda Forever suggested the CIA and/or the US Government at large wanted one of its original Avengers dead. If so, was that because Clint caused his former employer so much trouble? Does he know too many secrets, and the CIA has decided he’s too big a risk? Is the explanation as simple (and sinister) as the government growing tired of powerful figures working without oversight? (Which would explain why Val is building her own cadre of replacement superheroes.) Does that mean every Avenger is in mortal danger?

Or was the attempted assassination of Clint Barnes not an official CIA mission, and the MCU’s Val personally wanted Hawkeye dead? That would be consistent with Contessa Valentina’s Marvel comic book history.

Is Valentina Allegra de Fontaine an MCU Double Agent?

In Marvel Comics, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine is best known as a double agent. If that proves true in the MCU, it means the United States has a traitor as Deputy Director of the CIA. (This also means Contessa Valentina’s desperate desire to get vibranium in the MCU could be even more dangerous that we thought.)

That would also fundamentally change the franchise going forward, especially Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts movie that will feature Dreyfus’s character. Will the new superhero group—which will include a bunch of Russians—think it’s working for the United States while unknowingly serving an evil organization or foreign entity? Will all of them be unaware of that fact? Or will some of them be in on it?

And those are just some of the questions this revelation raises. Will we also find out the Power Broker Sharon Carter is also in cahoots with Val? And who, if anyone, might both be answering to?

No matter what this means for the future, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever revealed just how dangerous and mysterious Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine is. Not because she’s a shadowy figure, but because she isn’t.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. You can follow him on Twitter at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

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Namor is the latest character to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. And his arrival heralds a change in the type of characters that Marvel Studios chooses to spotlight. Known in the comics as the half-human ruler of Atlantis, Namor the Sub-Mariner occupies a unique place in the Marvel universe. It is certainly one that Wakanda Forever takes advantage of, giving Namor an air of untouchability that separates him from Marvel’s street-level heroes. Namor’s Atlantean background is different in the MCU; however, his new origin story hints at how the MCU will present characters in the future. By emphasizing Namor’s power as a mythological being, Wakanda Forever affirms that speculative storytelling is the way of its future.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever follows the late King T’Challa’s sister, Shuri, and her mother, Queen Ramonda. They, along with the nation of Wakanda, try to heal from their family’s losses in a rapidly changing world. Wakanda Forever details the country’s new place in geopolitics after T’Challa’s decision to reveal their technological innovation to the world. Western powers like the United States and France want nothing more than to plunder Wakanda’s vibranium.

These outsiders even have covert missions to try to locate sources of the precious metal around the world. But when Namor and the vibranium-rich kingdom of Talokan strike back against these Western powers, Shuri and Ramonda must make a choice. They will either join him or remain isolated for their own protection. And, through Shuri’s interactions with him, we uncover the full scope of his mythological background—one that informs the story in a fresh way.

One of the most distinctive aspects about Marvel Comics and the Marvel Cinematic Universe is its emphasis on the folk over the mythic. Many parts of the superhero genre are rooted in classical archetypes; however, Marvel Comics’ emphasis on character relatability has driven its success for the past sixty years. It is the foundation for why everyman heroes like Spider-Man have become such pop culture juggernauts.

Audiences can better imagine themselves in outlandish fantasy settings when the characters seem plucked from everyday life. This has only been accelerated by the success of the MCU. Even Thor, a Norse god, can be a bro playing Fortnite in his sweats. And the MCU’s more far-fetched teams like Guardians of the Galaxy still feature grounded elements. Its cybernetically-enhanced raccoon has a voice like Joe Pesci and its half-human leader is bad at dancing. 

And yet, 2021’s Eternals saw the MCU moving towards a more mythic tone with characters who are firmly god-like. Rather than being your next door neighbor, the Eternals are the basis for the oldest and most persistent myths in human history. The collective wonders if their love for humanity, with all of its flaws, can overcome their cosmic programming. These are problems no ordinary human would ever have to think about. But relatability should never be the primary metric for a story’s effectiveness. Eternals remains a divisive film between critics, fans of the comics, and MCU fans, precisely because its perspective is quite different from other films in the franchise. However, Wakanda Forever shows that this shift will continue to take the MCU to new heights. 

By introducing Namor, the MCU doubles down on its commitment to mythic elements. It’s a decision that will test whether or not the franchise can thrive without underhanded reliability at its core. Mythic characters are significant not just because they contrast the humanity of folk heroes like Spider-Man. They are also vital because they are built on possibility, rather than plausibility. Whether or not a mutant like Namor could exist is negligible in the world of the MCU. Mythic stories are more concerned with exploring the limits of possibility, rather than explaining their inner logic. As such, it’s not an accident that a mythic character like Namor appears in Wakanda Forever. He echoes the spirit of possibility that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’s characters and world are guided by.

The decision to create a new kingdom for Namor based in Mayan culture is a sign of how the MCU will continue to approach mythic stories. As Namor explains in the film, Talokan was born out of the atrocities of Spanish imperialism. Its formation was a last-ditch effort by his people to save themselves from the diseases that the Spanish had brought. Thus, Talokan’s secrecy is how Namor protects his people from genocide. His whispered, rumored status in the surface world isn’t just an aesthetic exercise or a facet of his personality. It’s an illustration of how the mythic as an idea can be reimagined as an anti-imperialist tool.

As such, between Wakanda Forever and Eternals, the MCU is using mythic characters to illustrate the weight of collective problems that go beyond asking your crush to the homecoming dance. For many people, the greatest threat imaginable isn’t a purple alien with a cosmic glove. It is the pervasive reality of state-sanctioned imperialism.

The MCU has been enormously successful because of its relatable characters. But the realms of possibility put forth by Namor in Wakanda Forever set a new bar for how the MCU can reinvent itself in the future. If the MCU is to remain fresh, it must require its fans to choose possibility over plausibility. If this continues, the combination of myth and the MCU might lead to its best era yet.

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Black Panther: Wakanda Forever brought some new characters to the MCU. We know that Namor is the film’s antagonist… but certainly not the only one or even the biggest one to be honest. But we also got to see Michaela Coel portray Aneka, a Wakandan warrior in a romantic relationship with Ayo. So, who is Aneka in the Black Panther comics? Let’s dig into her comic book history and how Aneka shows up in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

Aneka in the Black Panther Marvel Comics

In the Black Panther comics (2009), Aneka is a respected captain and skilled combat instructor for the Dora Milaje who trains new recruits to serve and protect the nation of Wakanda. Like her counterparts, she respects and honors King T’Challa, preparing the Dora Milaje to fight in the Doomwar after Doctor Doom swipes their vibranium. However, there’s more to Aneka. She falls in love with Ayo, which is forbidden, and the pair are assigned to protect Queen Shuri. But, their love for the royal family wanes after they discover that T’Challa and Namor, who attacked Wakanda, were coming together for a collaborative meeting. 

This angers Ayo and Aneka reminds her of her place as a Dora Milaje. However, they both become disillusioned and bring their concerns to Queen Shuri, breaking their spears as a sign of lost loyalty. They leave the country and it is attacked by Thanos, who kills Shuri. Aneka does express regret but gets into deeper trouble after killing a chieftain in response to a woman’s accusations of abuse against the village’s women. Ramonda sentences Aneka to death but Ayo breaks her out. They take the Midnight Angels uniforms, the blue armor that we see Michael Coel and Danai Gurira (Okoye) wear in the Wakanda Forever. 

Who Are Marvel’s Midnight Angels? 

The group originally is a subset of the Dora Milaje. As “Macho Man” Randy Savage would say, they are the cream of the crop. T’Challa brought them together after Doctor Doom stole Wakanda’s vibranium to defeat him. Later on, Aneka and Ayo take this armor and officially form the Midnight Angels, an offshoot that seeks to defend those people that the royal family doesn’t acknowledge. Vigilante justice, if you will. 

What Is Aneka’s Role in the MCU? 

Interestingly, Aneka really doesn’t play as large of a role as many expected in Wakanda Forever. She gets a few cool scenes, including the one where the Dora take out a potential threat. It is here where we see she is onboard with Shuri’s technological innovations vs. Okoye who wants to stick with tradition. Later on, Okoye decides to use the new suits that Shuri invented—the Midnight Angel armor—and recruits Aneka to wear the other one in combat. And, we do get a confirmation of Aneka and Ayo’s relationship at the very end. It is literally a fleeting moment, but perhaps we will see them together more when that Dora Milaje series materializes. In fact, Michaela Coel told Vogue that Aneka’s queerness is why she signed onto the role.

It is quite the change from having the Midnight Angels being an offshoot. And it seems that this won’t happen with Okoye being onboard for the tech changes. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a future where Aneka and a group of Midnight Angels decide to go on their own missions to save people. Until then, we will have to see what happens. And we are glad that Aneka is apart of the MCU.

Featured Image: Marvel Studios/Marvel Comics

Originally published on July 27, 2022.

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Black Panther: Wakanda Forever certainly deals with a lot of its past and present. From the ramifications of making itself known to the world to the aftermath of losing its beloved King, there’s a lot to explore alongside its action. But, as is the case with most Marvel offerings, the film also prepares us for the future. It is the final project in Phase 4, so of course it lays groundwork for the next chapter in the ongoing saga of the MCU. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever introduces Riri Williams, also known as Ironheart, and sets the stage for her Disney+ series in a wonderful way. 

The film serves as almost a backdoor pilot for Riri Williams, introducing her to the live-action world. She’s a 19-year-old computer and engineering wiz MIT student (so she gets an age bump from the comics). Riri is also a hustler who uses her genius intellect to do her fellow students’ homework for money. She’s also not above blackmailing them to get a better fee. She might be young, but she’s tough enough to stand up to Okoye, fight the police, and go into battle.

As expected, she’s also a major Iron Man fan who builds her own secretive suit. But her skills as an engineer also put her life in peril. Ironheart finds herself on the wrong side of Namor and the Talokans. To spite a professor, she builds a machine that can detect vibranium, the only such device in the world. Like Tony Stark did long ago in a cave, it’s partly made out of scraps, showing just how much she learned toying around in her late father’s garage as a kid.

As a result, Namor wants to find Riri and kill her because, well, he doesn’t want anyone sniffing around the ocean for the valuable substance. The search for vibranium could lead to the discovery and destruction of his underwater world.

That’s how Riri comes under the care and camaraderie of Wakanda and Shuri, a comic connection that forms an undeniable bond. Their first major interaction leads to us seeing a cool early version of Riri’s Ironheart suit in action. In Wakanda, Riri uses the country’s tech to make an improved, far more stylish suit that she takes into battle. However, at the end of the film Shuri makes Riri leave the new iron suit behind. But while her original vibranium detector is destroyed in the film, the CIA knows Riri is the only one who can build one. She might be safe from Talokan for now, but likely not from her own government.

Ironheart and Her MCU Future

The Ironheart series will debut sometime in fall 2023, close to a year after Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. However, it seems that Ironheart will be a direct continuation of Riri Williams’ story. Her TV introduction certainly won’t be like Ms. Marvel’s, where her entire path from regular kid to hero took place on-screen. We will already have a foundational knowledge of who she is in the MCU and the very real journey she’s about to take.

In the comics, we see Riri taking a step back from being a hero, yet getting into the mix of an investigation alongside N.A.T.A.L.I.E. The details of that lead her back into the suit and eventually into a collective of young heroes. Riri’s first trip to Wakanda certainly isn’t her last, but that’s not likely in her television show. It’s up in the air how things will go and what new suits Ironheart will possibly build. (I am personally holding out hope for her pink one to make an appearance.) Until then, we can take joy in knowing that Black girls are shining in the Marvel Universe.

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We knew Black Panther: Wakanda Forever would deal with the death of the nation’s protector and the arrival of Namor. What we did not know was how many surprises the highly-anticipated sequel had in store. That included a surprise cameo from someone we did not expect to see. How did the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever pull off its big Killmonger cameo surprise, and what did it mean for Shuri and the whole of the MCU?

The answers to those questions involve discussing major spoilers.

Shuri Meets an Unexpected Family Member in the Ancestral Plane

Wakandans who imbibe the Heart-Shaped Herb visit the Ancestral Plane to speak with a deceased relative. T’Challa spoke with his father, King T’Chaka, when he traveled to that land of the dead.

When Shuri consumed that concoction—made from her 3D-printed version of the flower—she expected to see her recently deceased mother. Shuri thought Queen Ramonda would give her guidance. But when the Princess awoke there and found herself inside the Wakandan throne room, she was shocked and angered to see who was waiting for her. It was the original Black Panther movie’s main villain, Erik Killmonger.

We were also surprised. Why was her cousin, who took so much from Shuri, her family, and her country, the person to greet her in that sacred dimension? Because Shuri summoned Killmonger in her Wakanda Forever visit to the ancesteral plane.

Why Did Shuri Summon Killmonger in Wakanda Forever?

Early in Wakanda Forever, Shuri told her mother that if she allowed herself to grieve her brother’s death she’d get so angry she’d burn the world down. Her anger then erupted following the death of her mother. When she entered the Ancestral Plane, Shuri wasn’t looking for good guidance, especially not the kind of restraint her mother would advocate for. Shuri was seeking approval for what she really wanted to do: seek vengeance. The only family member that would push her down such a dark path in Wakanda Forever was her late cousin Killmonger, played by Michael B. Jordan.

This scene shows that the Ancestral Plane is what you make of it. You can use it to seek honest aid or comfort. Or you can use it to reinforce what you want to hear. That doesn’t mean who you meet there, friend or foe, can’t help you even if they don’t mean to.

In his surprise Wakanda Forever cameo, Killmonger told Shuri that her brother T’Challa put all of Wakanda at risk by showing mercy to the country’s enemies. He also said her father was a hypocrite. Death clearly did not soften his outlook on the world. Nor did it provide him with perspective on what hatred leads to. He said the only one with the will to kill Namor was him. For Shuri to do that she needed to accept his view of the world. With that Killmonger left her as the throne room in the Ancestral plane erupted in fire, a symbol of the very thing Shuri threatened to do to the world.

Shuri almost did exactly what Killmonger pushed her toward, too. So why did Shuri ultimately ignore the advice of the ancestor she summoned in Wakanda Forever? Because when the moment came, another member of her family spoke to her from beyond.

Why Didn’t Shuri Kill Namor Like Killmonger Wanted?

With Namor at her mercy and Shuri ready to deliver a fatal blow, she saw not only the destruction to both Wakanda and Talokan that would follow his murder, she saw her mother. Ramonda appeared to her daughter from the Ancestral Plane. The Queen was right, our family members are never really gone. And when she did, the kindness and wisdom of Shuri’s mother and brother overwhelmed her.

By embracing who she truly is and letting go of her anger, rage, and pain, Shuri avoided following Killmonger’s path in Wakanda Forever. For though she summoned him to hear what she wanted, in her heart she knew what she should do. She needed to be more like the man who stopped Killmonger, her brother T’Challa.

That decision gave audiences the best of both worlds. Not only did the new Black Panther save countless lives, Wakanda Forever gave us one more scene with Jordan’s Killmonger, one of the MCU’s best villains. He was as compelling, powerful, and dangerous as ever. But maybe after he’s dead awhile longer he won’t be so eager to kill everyone he hates.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. You can follow him on Twitter at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

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Black Panther: Wakanda Forever featured only one additional scene after the movie ended. It was also unlike the kind we’ve come to expect during the final moments of an MCU movie. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever‘s single mid-credits scene wasn’t funny, nor did it hint at future entries to come. It didn’t even take place at a future date. Wakanda Forever‘s last scene was an emotional and unexpected moment that ensured an important legacy will live on in the franchise. And it did so in a way that speaks to the pasts of Haiti, Wakanda, and Marvel Comics, all while raising an interesting question that could one day impact the entire franchise.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever‘s Mid-Credits Scene Brings Us T’Challa’s Son

Wakanda’s new Black Panther, Shuri, ended the film by taking up Nakia’s offer to come to Haiti. There Shuri burned the clothes she wore at her brother and mother’s funerals, a sign she’s ready to accept their deaths and move on. It was a powerful way to end a story of grief and loss. But the emotional weight of that moment didn’t end with the film.

In an atypical move, Wakanda Forever‘s only scene to take place during or after the credits rejoined Shuri along that shore. That’s when Nakia finally explained the real reason she did not attend the funeral of the person who was “everything” to her. Nakia and T’Challa had a son six years earlier. T’Challa’s son is known as Toussaint in Haiti, but his real name is also T’Challa. His parents decided it would be best for their child to be raised away from the stress and responsibility of Wakanda. In the Black Panther mid-credits scene, we learn that to protect him, Nakia and T’Challa kept their son’s true identity a secret from almost everyone, even his aunt. (Though his grandmother Queen Ramonda met her grandson before her death.)

While T’Challa’s son’s secret name honors his late father, the one he uses in Haiti, Toussaint, pays tribute to that country.

Why the Name Toussaint Means So Much to Haiti

The first name given to T’Challa’s son in the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever mid-credits scenes is a powerful one. Toussaint is more than just an important or notable name in Haiti. It’s the name of one the country’s greatest heroes. François-Dominique Toussaint Louverture was born a slave and remained one for half his life. But he rose to become a general in Haiti’s Revolution. He came “to lead the most successful slave revolt in history—and help precipitate the downfall of European colonialism in the western hemisphere.”

He died in a French prison one year before Saint-Domingue gained its independence and renamed itself Haiti in 1804. But his heroism and leadership made him a legend in the country. More from History.com:

He was a singular leader who helped charter a revolution extraordinary in its insistence that any declaration of “inalienable liberties” rings hollow when constrained by notions of color or creed. His was a revolution that carried far wider geopolitical implications: Historians credit it with spooking France from further colonial endeavors in the hemisphere and inspiring Napoleon to offload the Louisiana territory to the United States, effectively doubling the young republic in size.

It’s easy to see why Nakia and T’Challa chose the Haitian name Toussaint for their son. It’s a name even Killmonger would have approved of. But beyond what it means to Haitians and those who stood up to slave owners and their oppressive regimes in the real world, it also has ties to their child’s fictional homeland.

How the Name Toussaint Connects to Wakanda

The name Toussaint translates in French to “all souls.” Haitians also celebrate All Souls Day every November 1st and 2nd. On those sacred days, people visit cemeteries to bring their deceased loved ones food, dark rum, and candles “to commemorate the country’s Vodou Festival of the Dead Fête Guédé.” And Port-au-Prince’s national cemetery is where priests and priestesses gather at the city’s oldest grave dressed in all white.

Considering Wakandans views on the afterlife, the Ancestral Plane, and how (as Queen Ramonda said) their relatives are never truly gone, it’s easy to see why the name Toussaint also became a fitting one for Nakia and T’Challa’s son. He is a living reminder of his own father’s legacy.

Of course, this is the MCU we’re talking about. And considering what this movie revealed about how Namor got his powers, the revelation in Wakanda Forever mid-credits scene about young T’Challa raises an obvious question: did he inherit his father’s powers?

Does Young T’Challa Have His Father’s Powers in Wakanda Forever‘s Mid-Credits Scene?

Namor genetically inherited the powers his mother gained from eating a special plant grown from vibranium-rich soil. Black Panthers gain their power from ingesting the Heart-Shaped Herb. But we don’t know if King T’Chaka had consumed the flower before siring his children. It’s unclear in the MCU if a Black Panther can pass on their superpowers to their progeny.

So is young T’Challa like Namor? Or is he just a regular kid? It’s hard to tell from Wakanda Forever‘s mid-credits scene. But the answer might come from Marvel Comics, even though T’Challa’s son on the page had a different mother.

Does T’Challa Have a Son in Marvel Comics?

T’Challa has a son in Marvel Comics on Earth-555326, but the child is known as Azari. And his mother is not Nakia, but rather Storm of the X-Men. But if the MCU’s Toussaint is anything like Azari, he will inherit his father’s powers bestowed by the Heart-Shaped Herb. That’s what happened to Azari in Marvel Comics, where he was also born with his mutant mother’s powers.

On Earth-555326 Azari fights with that dimension’s remaining Avengers to defeat Ultron. Could Marvel’s young T’Challa do something similar in the MCU’s Earth-616 someday? Could he be a Young Avenger in the near future?

We don’t know the answer to that question and might not for a very long time. But it doesn’t matter either. What matters is that the MCU honored its fallen king in a way that ensures both his name and his legacy will live on.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. You can follow him on Twitter at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

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Enemies will always strike when they believe you are at your weakest. That’s true even when you’re the most powerful nation on Earth. But Namor wasn’t Black Panther: Wakanda Forever‘s only antagonistic force. The film featured multiple enemies of all kinds. But who are all the MCU villains in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever? Here’s everyone—and everything—that came against Wakanda following the death of King T’Challa.

(Warning: you’re about to swim into major spoilers.)

Namor Is Wakanda Forever‘s Chief Antagonist

When King T’Challa decided to open Wakanda’s doors to the world and reveal the extent of his nation’s power, he had no way of knowing what that would mean for another secret society. The mutant King Namor rules over the underwater city of Talokan. Like Wakanda, it has an abundance of the most sought-after material in the world, vibranium. Queen Ramonda (rightly) refused to share her country’s supply of the priceless metal with other nations. But she did encourage them to search for it elsewhere, confident there was none to be found outside her borders.

That set off a conflict between Wakanda and Talokan in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. First, Namor wanted to kill the scientist (Riri Williams) who built the machine capable of locating vibranium. He believed that was the only way to keep his city and his people safe. Then he wanted Shuri and Wakanda to join him in a war against the other surface countries. That led to conflict between the two factions until their leaders agreed to a truce.

Namor might not have turned out to be wholly bad, but he is unquestionably the chief antagonist of the Black Panther sequel. He was far from the film’s only villain, though.

The Generals of Talokan Want War

Namor’s closest generals not only spent their lives preparing to fight the surface world, they seemed eager for war. Their superhuman strength and willingness to immediately kill anyone who threatened their underwater city made them as dangerous as anyone on Earth. And they helped lead a massive, formidable, and equally eager army of Talokan soldiers into battle.

Despite King Namor’s seeming acquiescence, it seems his generals’ desire for war is not satiated. And they might one day get it since another enemy of Wakanda wants what Talokan has.

The World’s Governments Are Complete Villains in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Other powerful nations, including the United States, want some of Wakanda’s vibranium. The strongest metal on Earth can cure disease and injury, but it can also be used to make weapons of mass destruction. France is so desperate to get some that they hired mercenaries to attack a Wakandan research outpost. Wakanda was ready for the attack, in part because they knew T’Challa’s death made them appear weak. And that makes the governments of the world the real villains in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

But even with Shuri assuming the mantle of Wakanda’s Black Panther protector, it’s unlikely other countries will stop seeking vibranium, even if that means conflict with Wakanda. Especially not the U.S.

Not only was it on the verge of attacking Wakanda with little (and wrong) reason, but the United States employs a powerful, ruthless woman in a position of great power. And she can’t stop dreaming of a United States with an abundance of vibranium.

CIA Deputy Director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine Is Worse Than We Thought

One of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever‘s biggest surprises is that Valentina Allegra de Fontaine is not who we believed. And we don’t mean that because she’s Agent Ross’s ex-wife. The shadowy figure we thought was working outside the laws of any country this whole time is one of the most powerful people in the U.S. government. She’s the Deputy Director of the CIA, and she desperately wants vibranium. She’ll also jail anyone she thinks puts the United States at risk, including her former husband. We knew Val (don’t tell her we called her that!) was dangerous before. But we had no idea how powerful she really is.

Valentina Allegra de Fontaine is really shaping up to be an important new MCU villain, in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and beyond.

Black Panther’s Villain Killmonger Returns in Wakanda Forever

When Shuri entered the ancestral plane, she summoned her cousin Killmonger. Death did nothing to curb his outlook on life. He mocked T’Challa’s kindness and his uncle’s hypocrisy. And he pushed Shuri to be more like him and kill Namor, even though that would only lead to more bloodshed. For a dead character we did not expect to see, Killmonger reminded us why he was such a compelling villain in the original film.

Grief, Loss, and Anger Is the True Villain in Wakanda Forever

Aquatic superhumans, spiteful nations, deadly soldiers, the CIA, and a ghost with a taste for vengeance paled in comparison to the most dangerous villain of Wakanda Forever—grief. The death of Chadwick forced the Black Panther sequel to deal with an enemy we can’t escape. And the death of a loved one brings so many enemies into our lives. For Shuri, that meant trying—and failing—to bury her sadness and anger. For others like Nakia, it meant hiding from the world. And for others, it meant a loss of purpose and guilt.

Namor was Black Panther: Wakanda Forever‘s primary antagonist, but he wasn’t its greatest villain.

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Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will certainly be an emotional experience for millions of fans around the world. The tragic loss of our beloved king (both onscreen and in real life) Chadwick Boseman and his looming absence in this sequel is something that cannot be ignored. So, it is no surprise that a leading song from the film’s soundtrack will honor Chadwick’s legacy. (And also by extension honors T’Challa in the MCU.) And, it is even more special because it marks the return of Rihanna to music. As we know, fans have been hilariously begging the mogul for more music since 2016. And now, Rihanna’s new song for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever “Lift Me Up” is out in the world. And oh, is it beautiful. 

Rihanna dropped the song on October 28, just two weeks before the film’s release. It’s lovely to hear her distinct voice once again as she sings heartfelt lyrics like this: 

Burning in a hopeless dream/Hold me when you go to sleep/Keep me in the warmth of your love/When you depart, keep me safe/Safe and sound.

There’s a mix of sadness, hope, and wistfulness in its message. The soothing instrumental alone is one that you’ll want to put on repeat. Of course, Rihanna is one of the writers on the song along with Ryan Coogler, Priscilla Renea, and Ludwig Göransson, who is known for his scores for Black Panther and the Creed franchise. But the most noticeable imprint on Rihanna’s “Lift Me Up” is undoubtedly Tems, a Nigerian artist whose signature sound is taking over the US. It’s not shocking that she’s a writer for this song because it sounds a lot like something she would sing.

And it seems Rihanna is finally ready to dive back into music after causally dominating the beauty and fashion industry. We even heard there’s a football game happening during the Rihanna concert next year. (I’m only partially kidding because I do genuinely love football. But I love Rihanna more.) 

“Lift Me Up” is available everywhere now, so let Rihanna’s voice carry you into a peaceful place in preparation for Wakanda Forever.

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One of Marvel Comics’ greatest and sometimes heartbreaking love stories is that of the X-Men’s Storm and T’Challa, the Black Panther. Even if they didn’t have a romantic history, the two share the honor of being the publisher’s most prominent African superheroes. But the bond runs far deeper than that for the Kenyan mutant weather goddess and the King of Wakanda. Although, it took decades for both characters to tie the knot. But could we maybe see that history play out, in a way, in Wakanda Forever? Before we get to that, here’s a history of the romance between the King and Queen of Wakanda.

The Marvel Comics History of X-Men’s Storm and Black Panther

Storm’s history in the comics is far more expansive than anything we saw in the Fox X-Men films. She was born Ororo Munroe, the child of an American photojournalist and a Kenyan Princess. Although born in the U.S., Ororo’s parents eventually moved to Cairo, Egypt. While still a child, both her parents died in a tragic accident, leaving Ororo homeless. Left to wander the streets of Cairo alone, she became a child pickpocket, stealing for Achmed El Gibár, who was essentially an adoptive parent for her. She would later work for the Shadow King, which facilitated her first encounter with a young Charles Xavier.

Childhood Sweethearts

Eventually, she left Cairo to discover her roots in her mother’s homeland of Kenya. On her way there, she came across a young T’Challa, who had left Wakanda to learn about the world. He ended up getting kidnapped, and Ororo rescued him using her recently emerged mutant weather-controlling powers. The two teenagers had an instant bond, and young love blossomed between them. But the duties of the throne called to T’Challa, and the two would not reunite until they were both adult superheroes, one an Avenger, and one an X-Man. This story was told by the Uncanny X-Men dream team of Chris Claremont and John Byrne, in 1980’s Marvel-Team Up #100.

However, that’s not the only version of how the pair met. In a later Storm mini-series in 2006, their first encounter was retconned. It was now a young T’Challa who saved a young Storm. At the time, Marvel Comics was giving more importance to their Avengers franchise than the X-Men, so they probably wanted to uplift one of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes over an X-Man. Regardless of what the “true” first meeting was, their young romance was still a part of their past. It was shocking that it took Marvel Comics over 25 years to revisit it in a meaningful way.

The Marriage of King T’Challa and Queen Ororo

In the mid-2000s, T’Challa rekindled his love for Ororo, and helped her reunite with both her American and Kenyan relatives. In 2006, in Black Panther Volume 4: #14 and #15, King T’Challa finally proposed to Storm. Ororo, having broken up with her former X-Man love Forge, said yes to her childhood sweetheart. The wedding took place in Black Panther Volume 4: #18. This occurred right in the middle of the superhero Civil War, and the Avengers and others called a truce so everyone could attend the festive occasion. For one day at least, they all put their grievances aside to celebrate the happy couple.

Wakandan Power Couple

For the next six years, the royal couple had a fairytale romance. Well, as much as can be possible for two active superheroes. During the Civil War, both Black Panther and Storm were on team Cap (something MCU T’Challa was definitely not at first). For a brief time, both Black Panther and Storm were members of the Fantastic Four. In fact, the FF’s Baxter Building served as the Wakandan embassy in the United States. When T’Challa slipped into a coma after the events of Dark Reign, after which his sister Shuri became Black Panther, Ororo stayed by his side as Queen until he awoke. What would ultimately tear them apart for good was their loyalties to their respective superhero families — the Avengers and the X-Men.

Why Did Black Panther and Storm Divorce?

Ultimately, what broke the royal couple apart was the Avengers vs. X-Men event, or AvX. When the Phoenix force was returning to Earth, the mutant population, which had been decimated by the Scarlet Witch, believed the Phoenix could reactivate the X-gene. The Avengers saw the destructive Phoenix Force as too unpredictable, something that needed stopping. This caused a massive war between the two teams. Black Panther took the side of the Avengers, and his wife, the side of the X-Men.

When Namor the Sub-Mariner, now powered by the Phoenix and on the side of the X-Men, flooded Wakanda, the casualties were severe. Unable to forgive his wife for taking the side of the X-Men over the kingdom she ruled over, T’Challa had the High Priest of the Panther Clan annul their marriage. It just so happened that the Black Panther was the High Priest. The two heroes separated, and although there was much bitterness between them at first, they are now fairly amicable exes.

Black Panther and Storm’s Son, Azari

Although Storm and Black Panther split up in the 616 universe, there were worlds in the Multiverse where they not only didn’t divorce, they actually had a child. On both Earth-555326 and Earth-10943, the two had a son named Azari T’Challa. In the animated film Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow, they introduced us to the first version of Azari, a teen who inherited his father’s powers of the Heart-Shaped Herb, and the control over lightning of his mutant mother.

For the comics, another teenage version of Azari debuted in 2010, with the same power set. He lives on the same Earth as other next-generation heroes like Spider-Girl. So far, there’s no sign that T’Challa and Ororo in the 616 are getting back together, much less having a child. But anything is possible in comics. And eventually, those comics might inform the MCU.

Could Storm Make Her MCU Debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever?

For years, fans have speculated that Storm might make her MCU debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Janelle Monáe even petitioned Ryan Coogler to play the part. But so far, it seems like Storm is not in the film. At least, that’s what they’ve told us. Marvel has held on to some pretty big secrets before. So we wouldn’t be that shocked to see Storm show up. One popular fan theory suggests that Nakia is an assumed name for Ororo. One that she used as a Wakandan War Dog, and her mutant powers will activate in Wakanda Forever. Thus, revealing that she has always been Storm. Now wouldn’t that be wild?

And if Nakia becomes Black Panther, it would mean our second protector of Wakanda is an iconic X-Man. But since Nakia is a long-time comic book character, we’re not sure Marvel would want to erase one character to serve another. While we sadly won’t ever see Chadwick Boseman’s Panther romance Storm, the Multiverse is vast. So who knows? Maybe Storm and another version of T’Challa are happily married on Battleworld? Meaning we may see a version of the royal couple in Secret Wars. Stranger things have happened in the MCU.

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The high-impact release of 2018’s Black Panther made one thing crystal clear: the MCU would return to Wakanda before long. At this point, T’Challa already had slated appearances in that year’s Avengers: Infinity War and its 2019 follow-up Endgame; but his standalone feature whetted appetites for more stories about the African royal and hero. Thus, Marvel Studios immediately set the gears in motion for a second Black Panther feature, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

Here’s everything we know about Black Panther: Wakanda Forever so far.

Title

The title of the second Black Panther film is Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever‘s Plot

The film’s trailer reveals that the nation is morning the death of King T’Challa. This turns of events is a heartbreaking reflection of Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman died after a longstanding battle with colon cancer. Kevin Feige previously said that T’Challa would not be recast. Shuri, Nakia, and the Wakandans are facing a new threat from Namor, the ruler of Atlantis.

In the movie’s most recent look, we get an even better look at Namor and our new Black Panther, as well as the rest of our cast of characters. Every trailer is more emotional than the next.

Namor, Shuri, and Ironheart especially come into sharp focus in the film’s second trailer.

The Black Panther: Wakanda Forever plot synopsis reveals:

In Marvel Studios’ Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), Shuri (Letitia Wright), M’Baku (Winston Duke), Okoye (Danai Gurira) and the Dora Milaje (including Florence Kasumba), fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T’Challa’s death. As the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes must band together with the help of War Dog Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) and Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) and forge a new path for the kingdom of Wakanda. Introducing Tenoch Huerta as Namor, king of a hidden undersea nation, the film also stars Dominique Thorne, Michaela Coel, Mabel Cadena and Alex Livanalli.

In new production notes, Marvel Studios has explained more about how Wakanda Forever begins and what its timeline looks like. Per IGN, director Ryan Coogler explains:

Ramonda realizes that it’s been a year since T’Challa’s passing and Shuri’s still not healing—she’s not taking steps to move forward in a healthy way. They take a retreat—stepping away from the city, from the technology—to sit with no distractions and perform what is essentially a grief ritual. That’s when Namor shows up.

Our hearts are breaking already. Additionally, a new featurette takes us deeper into the world of Black Panther 2. It highlights the presence of Chadwick Boseman in the movie and also all the new worlds and characters we’ll meet.

Behind the Scenes

Ryan Coogler, director of the first Black Panther movie, will write and direct Black Panther 2. Autumn Durald Arkapaw will be the film’s cinematographer and Ludwig Göransson will return to compose the film’s score.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’s Cast

The following Black Panther stars would revive their roles in the sequel: Letitia Wright (Shuri), Danai Gurira (Okoye), Lupita Nyong’o (Nakia), Winston Duke (M’Baku), Angela Bassett (Ramonda), and Martin Freeman (Everett Ross). In November 2020, The Hollywood Reporter teased the possibility of Tenoch Huerta joining the cast as the story’s villain. And we found out during the film’s San Diego Comic-Con panel that this news is true! Tenoch Huerta is playing the aforementioned Namor.

Variety previously reported Michaela Coel (I May Destroy You) joined the cast. She is now confirmed to be playing Aneka, who was a combat instructor for the Dora Milaje in the comics. Also, Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne) will make her live-action debut in the film as Ironheart.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever‘s Release Date

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will hit theaters on November 11, 2022.

This piece was originally published on April 14, 2021.

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One of the most anticipated and emotional outings for the MCU, perhaps ever, will be Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The movie, of course, must contend with the loss of Chadwick Boseman in our universe and the loss of the great King T’Challa in the world of the MCU. Two incredibly powerful griefs, as both actor and character are beloved. But Black Panther: Wakanda Forever‘s trailer also reminds us we will see tremendous action and evolving characters in Wakanda Forever, in addition to the moving narrative we are sure to experience. The first trailer for Black Panther 2 revealed Namor to us, along with glimpses at Ironheart and the new Black Panther, and now the most recent Wakanda Forever trailer brings them all into sharp focus.

In the Black Panther 2 trailer, we get a better look at the mighty Namor as he flies through the sky with his winged ankles. M’Baku reveals to us that his people, the people of Talokan, call him the “Feather Serpent God.” This indicates to us he likely has joined the MCU’s pantheon of gods in some way.

Joyously, we also get to see Riri Williams, otherwise known as Ironheart, take to the air in her Ironheart suit, whooping as she sails into the sky. And, of course, we get a good hard look at our new Black Panther. Although Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’s trailer doesn’t reveal who wears it, the wearer appears to be a woman. Squinting at the silhouette, it seems quite likely the new Black Panther is Princess Shuri herself, but the MCU has surprised us before.

The release for Black Panther 2‘s trailer reminds us more about the story:

In the film, Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), Shuri (Letitia Wright), M’Baku (Winston Duke), Okoye (Danai Gurira) and the Dora Milaje (including Florence Kasumba) fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T’Challa’s death. As the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes must band together with the help of War Dog Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) and Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) and forge a new path for the kingdom of Wakanda.Introducing Tenoch Huerta as Namor, king of Talokan, the film also stars Dominique Thorne, Michaela Coel, Mabel Cadena and Alex Livinalli. 

Tickets for Black Panther 2 are now on sale, Wakanda Forever releases in theaters on November 11.

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In anticipation of the upcoming release of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the folks at LEGO are releasing the ultimate collectible honoring the great King T’Challa. Right now via their official online store, you can pre-order this Black Panther build-and-display bust. It stands 18 in. (46 cm) high, and is 16″ (39cm) wide. This one is indeed worthy of Wakanda.

This new LEGO build is a true work of art, and allows the builder to recreate the ceremonial helmet of the protector of Wakanda in reflective black and silver details. Everyone who sees it will want to do the Wakanda Forever salute in its honor. You can see several images of the incredibly detailed LEGO Black Panther display model right here:

Click To View Gallery

The Black Panther model comes with his powerful necklace that summons the helmet and suit. It also features purple and blue colors that emulate the power of Vibranium. This is the substance unique to Wakanda that powers the suit. Another cool feature is the detachable hands with articulated fingers, so the owner can make a custom display. As with most of the LEGO deluxe models, it comes with a sturdy display base as well. When completed, it really looks like the costume of the ruler of Wakanda, as its proportions are nearly life-size.

This is just the latest amazing LEGO Marvel Cinematic Universe build for the adult collector. Recently, they released an amazing Sanctum Sanctorum set from the Doctor Strange films. Thor’s Asgardian hammer Mjölnir also made for an excellent LEGO build. And we’ve also seen a pretty amazing Iron Man Infinity Gauntlet. Not to mention, the original Infinity Gauntlet of Thanos. Black Panther’s bust will make a fine addition to that collection. LEGO fans can create quite the impressive MCU display in their home. The new Black Panther build-and-display set will set you back $349.99, and arrives on October 1.

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You’ve heard bold claims like “you’ll never watch ___ the same way again!” accompanying most in-depth looks at your favorite movies. Marvel Studios’ Black Panther: Dreams of Wakanda is one of the rare books that absolutely delivers on that promise. It’s not an exaggeration to say Dreams of Wakanda will forever change what it means to you the next time you hear, “Wakanda forever!”

The compelling collection of essays on Black Panther comes from the voices of Black journalists, authors, poets, writers, and artists from around the world. None of these remarkable pieces pull their punches. Each one unflinchingly examines the impact the film has had both personally and globally.

Among the book’s contributors is Ruth E. Carter, the costume designer who won an Academy Award in 2019 for her work on the landmark Marvel Studios film. You can read an excerpt of her incredible essay below.

Excerpt from essay titled “Afrofuturistic Beauty” by Ruth E. Carter

We made over a thousand costumes with five concept artists, three assistant costume designers, specialty costume companies, agers/dyers, mold makers, set costumers, and jewelry craftspeople to honor the beauty and history of Africa and the Dinka, Dogon, Himba, Lesotho, Maasai, Ndebele, Suri, Surma, Tuareg, Turkana, Wagenya, and Zulu peoples. The final product is Wakandan Afrofuturistic looks that have expanded our vision of beauty.

My life’s passion and work is about telling diverse stories through costume design. Before a word of dialogue is uttered, costumes begin to tell the story of a character—who they are and where they have been. It is a visual narrative using fabrics, colors, and patterns that bring to life characters, whether they are real, historical, or imaginative.

My journey into this profession began when I was a girl growing up in Springfield, Massachusetts. The youngest of eight siblings, I relied on everyone in our home to entertain me. My brother was the artist, and I was incredibly inspired to be like him. I spent hours in my room at my desk being creative, whether it was drawing, coloring, or reading poetry and literature. One afternoon, I serendipitously discovered a sewing machine tucked inside the desk. My creative playground expanded. With the most modest of beginnings, this girl who knew how to dream, and pursue that dream by any means necessary, began building her love for creating art.

I nurtured my artistic curiosity over the years, and it led me to follow my family legacy at Hampton University, a historically Black college on the shores of Virginia.

Hampton is where the first freed enslaved persons and indigenous people were educated under the giant tree on campus, known as the Emancipation Oak. It is also where the Emancipation Proclamation was read aloud. It was here that the stories I read and learned connected me to who I was and where I came from. It lit up in me a passion to share these and other stories yet to be discovered and because of it, I enjoyed being in the theater department. I was drawn to it like a calling. This is where I discovered all my talents as an artist merged, and I found myself the costume designer on campus.

Coming up with the costumes for Black Panther was a full-circle life moment for me, personally. I think back to the moment I discovered the sewing machine. It was not unique to just our household; this was a common appliance in Black family homes. It was a staple, just like an iron. It connects me to my ancestors, who arrived in shiploads on these shores from Africa, vulnerable and naked, and had to learn to make clothes. From picking cotton all day in the heat to sewing, cutting, and dyeing, they were making clothes for themselves to maintain their dignity. Some became artisans behind closed doors, never earning the credit for creating such couture fashions for their owner, owner’s wife, or employer.

That sewing machine I discovered was a direct connection to this legacy. To be able to use the same skills that my ancestors perfected to survive in order to tell the stories that give names to the nameless, elevate us, and allow us to understand ourselves better, has given me more understanding of a purpose I achieve every day.

To be recognized for designing costumes for Black characters living in all their glory without knowing colonization is a full-circle moment for me as an artist. I cherish knowing that my ancestors led me here. Seeing Ryan Coogler’s vision through and adding my own signature to designing Afrofuturistic looks where people can find their own beauty represented is the greatest gift of my art. Giving new generations the confidence these characters carry by seeing a part of themselves on-screen. With that power, I hope they have the ability to live their purpose and manifest their own freedom in the vision of their futures.

Other standout essays include a stunning metaphorical analysis of vibranium from writer Tre Johnson and a deep-dive into the film’s soundtrack from journalist Hannah Giorgis. Don’t miss your chance to read these thoughtful analyses and more when Marvel Studios’ Black Panther: Dreams of Wakanda comes to bookstores on September 6, 2022.

Kelly Knox is a pop culture and entertainment writer in the Seattle area. She’s the author of Star Wars: Be More Obi-Wan and a co-author on the upcoming book Star Wars Everyday. Follow her on Twitter at @kelly_knox to talk Star Wars, pop culture, and bad dad jokes.

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Several great trailers debuted at the Marvel Studios panel this past weekend at SDCC. But none got the tears flowing quite like Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Ryan Coogler’s film is very much a living tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman. And his memory permeates the whole trailer. The grief weighs heavy in the faces of the entire cast, as the nation of Wakanda mourns its sovereign. And one of the key ways the trailer elicited emotion from us was the use of music.

The use of a cover of Bob Marley’s “No Woman No Cry,” by Nigerian artist Tems, arranged by composer Ludwig Göransson, was perfect. That song, along with “A Body, A Coffin,” performed by Ghanian artist Amaarae, and “Soy,” by Mexican rapper Santa Fe Klan, make up a new Wakanda Forever EP. And you can also listen to that EP on Spotify with all three tracks right here:

Here’s what Coogler and Göransson had to say about Prologue:

“This Prologue is an aural first glimpse of Wakanda Forever. The sound world for the film began with extended trips to Mexico and Nigeria. We spent our days working with traditional musicians who educated us about the cultural, social and historical contexts of their music. We built a catalogue of instrumental and vocal recordings that explored both traditional and non-traditional uses of their musical material.”

They added that “we had recording sessions with contemporary artists who were akin to the characters and thematic material explored in the film. Using the script as a blueprint, along with the recordings from the traditional musicians, we began to build a musical vocabulary for the characters, storylines and cultures. The instrumental score and soundtrack for Wakanda Forever both organically grew from these sessions and workshops. They are conceived together as a singular entity to create an immersive and enveloping sound world for the film.”

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will hit theaters on November 11, 2022.

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Marvel Studios’ monster of a Hall H panel at Comic-Con ended with our first look at Ryan Coogler’s much anticipated Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The movie was the subject of a lot of speculation given the absence of the titular character following star Chadwick Boseman’s untimely passing. But Wakanda is more than just one man! And the kingdom of Wakanda has many more heroes, as the emotionally charged trailer revealed. Plus, we got our first look at actor Tenoch Huerta as Prince Namor. That’s right, the Sub-Mariner himself.

The sense of loss is palpable in the trailer to a cover version of “No Woman, No Cry.” It’s clear that the movie will be about the loss of T’Challa. The void on the throne has been filled by T’Challa and Shuri’s mother Ramonda (Angela Bassett). She is angry that she is the queen of the most powerful nation in the world but her family is all gone. Does that mean Shuri (Letitia Wright) is gone too? Well, not necessarily.

But, among the familiar returning faces, like Danai Gurira as Okoye, Lupita Nyong’o as Nakia, and Winston Duke as M’Baku, we also saw new faces. The most prominent of these is none other than Namor, the Sub-Mariner. As the trailer indicates, Wakanda will have to fight against the kingdom of Atlantis. Or maybe they’ll team up eventually? Who can really say. The Atlanteans we see seem to have a cool Mayan-inspired look, which might point to the direction Coogler will go with them. Huerta had already indicated he was learning the Ancient Mayan language, so. Yep.

So you might ask yourself, “how can this be a Black Panther movie without Black Panther? Well, we’re fairly positive it will be none other than Shuri herself who will don the familiar costume to fight as Wakanda’s protector. It happened in the comics, don’t ya know!

We truly cannot wait to see Coogler’s second outing for Marvel. His first was an unmitigated success and this new one looks to truly tug at the heartstrings amid the action.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will hit cinemas November 11, 2022.

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd.

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Not too long ago, we learned that Marvel was developing a Wakanda-based series for Disney+, with Ryan Coogler producing. But that’s not the only Black Panther spinoff series coming to the streamer. Via a profile on showbiz “Power Lawyers” in The Hollywood Reporter, we’ve discovered that Danai Gurira is not only returning for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, but is also getting her own Okoye spin-off origin series for Disney+. As Okoye was easily one of the most popular characters in the whole MCU, this is richly deserved.

So what do we know about this Okoye series? Well, right now, not much. Only that it’s far enough in development to have already secured Dunai Gurira’s return. Of course, due to her years on The Walking Dead as Michonne, we all know we’re in for a treat. One imagines we will see the rest of the Black Panther’s royal guard, the Dora Milajae, in some form on the Okoye series.

Marvel Studios

In The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Dora member Ayo also impressed viewers. So here’s hoping she’s a guest star at least. Of course, there is also the romance between Okoye and Daniel Kaluuya‘s W’Kabi to explore. He will almost certainly appear as well. If it ends up as a flashback series, then perhaps King T’Chaka too? Okoye served him long before T’Challa. Her friendship with Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) is also something we hope to see more of.

Okoye debuted in the Marvel Knights Black Panther series in 1998. Aspects of her backstory which may appear include Okoye helping to recruit Queen Divine Justice into the Dora. Divine Justice, the actual queen of the Jabari tribe of Wakanda, grew up in Chicago. She would be another great character to see in an Okoye series. In the comics, Okoye also has a brief flirtation with Kasper Cole, the White Tiger. Any of these aspects of her past are worthy storylines. When it comes to the captain of the Dora Milaje, the possibilities are endless.

Featured Image: Marvel Studios

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It turns out Ryan Coogler wasn’t kidding when he popularized the phrase “Wakanda Forever” in his mega hit film Black Panther. According to Deadline, Coogler has just signed an exclusive five year deal with Disney to develop television series for them. And the first one out of the gate with be a series for Disney+ focusing on the Kingdom of Wakanda. Black Panther 2 is also still coming from Coogler, which will start principal photography this year for a 2022 release.

Black Tree TV

In a statement, Disney’s Bob Iger said, “Ryan Coogler is a singular storyteller whose vision and range have made him one of the standout filmmakers of his generation. With Black Panther, Ryan brought a groundbreaking story and iconic characters to life in a real, meaningful and memorable way, creating a watershed cultural moment. We’re thrilled to strengthen our relationship and look forward to telling more great stories with Ryan and his team.”

Marvel Studios

So what could this Wakanda series entail? We have no idea as of yet. In Marvel Comics, there was a World of Wakanda series a few years back, which seems ideal for adaptation. A Disney+ series focusing on the lineage of the Black Panther line and the different kings would be amazing. Or perhaps an anthology series showing how the secretive Wakandans intersected with historical events while keeping their nation hidden. We are pretty sure that whatever the show becomes, it will honor the legacy of the late Chadwick Boseman.

In a statement, Coogler said, “We will be taking our first leap with Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso and their partners at Marvel Studios, where we will be working closely with them on select MCU shows for Disney+.”

Notice he said shows, plural. We may be getting far more than the Kingdom of Wakanda series from Coogler and Marvel. We couldn’t be more excited about it.

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For a quick refresher: T’Challa’s ingenious sister Shuri invents the wryly named Sneakers for, among other uses, her brother’s superhero suit. In a memorable scene, Shuri tells T’Challa, “Fully automated, like the old American movie Baba used to watch. And I made them completely sound absorbent.”

Jake Laser, who goes by JLaservideo on YouTube, has created countless other IRL versions of pop-culture props before; including a bunch that a (very sanitary) Spider-Man would love. In the video above, Laser shows how he iterated a real-life pair of the Sneakers from various materials, with the singular goal of making the shoes fully sound absorbent. As well as self-folding? (They’re supposed to mimic the Sneakers’ ability to work autonomously, but without CGI, that just means rolling rubber.)

JLaservideo

After ruling out options like memory foam, leather, socks, and “pink foam,” Laser lands on using aerogel. Aerogel, as Laser notes, is an ultralight material made from a gel in which the liquid component for the gel has been replaced with a gas without significant collapse of the gel structure. Incidentally, space missions employ aerogel, as it is one thousand times less dense than glass, as well as extremely good at collecting dust.

As for the results? There’s no question Laser’s Sneakers quiet footfalls with a vengeance. Laser demonstrates, using a decibel meter, that the Sneakers make walking so quiet, a wearer’s footsteps are no louder than ambient noise. And even though there are some real-world limitations—creaky wood is going to creak—these Sneakers got it where it counts.

Feature image: JLaservideo

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This past November 29 would have been Chadwick Boseman’s 44th birthday. The man who brought King T’Challa of Wakanda to life in four different Marvel Studios films tragically died after a four-year battle with cancer on August 28. But on the day of his birth, the folks at Disney found a way to honor their king.

Via Variety, we’ve learned that Disney+ has redesigned the Marvel logo intro to Black Panther to honor Boseman. The new intro features footage of the actor portraying the character, as well as several candid behind-the-scenes moments. You can check out the newly redesigned introduction here:

The announcement came from Disney executive Bob Iger, who tweeted out the news. He said, “To all fans of Black Panther: watch the film on DisneyPlus late tonight, for a special tribute to someone that was and will always be near and dear to our hearts.”

Along with Iger’s tweet, Marvel Studios’ CEO Kevin Feige also chimed in on social media. He tweeted out one simple but heartfelt message: the words “miss you.”

Along with images from the films in the special intro, there are also quotes, including one from an iconic moment in Captain America: Civil War. It’s from the scene when the young prince addresses the United Nations Assembly, saying, “In times of crisis, the wise build bridges while the foolish build barriers.” We couldn’t think of anything more timely to include.

Marvel Studios

The future of Black Panther as a film franchise is cloudy right now. We know that production for Black Panther II is scheduled to begin next summer, so we imagine news of who will wear the mantle is forthcoming. A lot of people think it will be T’Challa’s sister Shuri, played by Letitia Wright. Some think that the part of T’Challa will simply be recast, perhaps with a totally different T’Challa, from somewhere in the Multiverse. But one thing is for sure. The man who first brought T’Challa to life onscreen, Chadwick Boseman, will never be forgotten.

Featured Image: Marvel Studios

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It’s been nearly a month since the tragic and untimely death of actor Chadwick Boseman. And we’re all still collectively in shock and feeling tremendous sadness. But one person has found a way to channel their grief into something positive and beautiful. Something which reminds us all of just how much of an inspiration Boseman was to so many.

Artist and former Disney Imagineer Nikkolas Smith showed his love for the beloved Black Panther actor by creating this sweet painting. It’s now on display as a large mural at Downtown Disney in Anaheim, California. The piece shows Boseman exchanging the Wakanda Forever salute with a young childwearing a Black Panther mask.

In a statement on his Instagram, Smith wrote “This one is special. My King Chad tribute is now on a wall on display at Downtown Disney. It is a full circle moment for me: my final two projects as a Disney Imagineer last summer were working on the Children’s Hospital project and the Avengers Campus. To millions of kids, T’Challa was a legend larger than life, and there was no one more worthy to fill those shoes than Chadwick Boseman. I’m so thankful to be able to honor Chadwick’s life and purpose in this way. I am grateful to the Disney family for being so supportive of my journey as an artist.”

Marvel Studios

Marvel Studios themselves released a lovely tribute to Boseman a few weeks after his death. Since then, many more artists posted images in his honor on social media. But there’s just something different about art one can stand in front of and take in. Although the Disneyland Resort still remains closed to the public, Downtown Disney is open. So anyone who wants to see this piece up close now can do so and pay their respects to a life well lived.

Featured Image: Marvel Studios

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We are still reeling from the tragic and untimely passing of Chadwick Boseman last week. He passed after a four year battle with colon cancer. Although the 43 year old actor was known for many iconic roles, millions around the world will remember him first and foremost as Black Panther, King T’Challa of Wakanda. Now, Marvel Studios has created a special video tribute for Boseman, highlighting his performance as T’Challa. They compiled the tribute from several candid moments and interviews with his fellow Marvel Cinematic Universe cast members and directors.

You can watch the entire moving tribute video below:

You’ll see many familiar faces throughout this video. They include Boseman’s fellow Marvel co-stars like Letitia Wright, Angela Bassett, Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, and others. Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige and Black Panther director Ryan Coogler discuss just how lucky they were to have been able to cast Boseman for the role—a role we can all agree he was born to play. The clips originate from behind-the-scenes interviews from all four of Chadwick Boseman’s Marvel films. Those films being Captain America: Civil War, Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame.

Marvel

Since Boseman’s passing, most of these same actors have released statements of their own. Ryan Coogler wrote a beautiful tribute to his friend that will move you to tears. But it’s nice to see everyone share their praises for Boseman when he was still alive in the tribute video. Hopefully, this means that he had at least an idea of how much his colleagues cherished him while still on this Earth. It is beyond sad that we will never see Boseman in the role again, or any role, to be honest. We feel nothing but compassion and sympathy for his family and loved ones. But we consider ourselves fortunate to have been able to experience his talent at all. His work will live on through the ages, inspiring several more generations to come.

Featured Image: Marvel

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His portrayals of baseball legend Jackie Robinson (42), funk music progenitor James Brown (Get On Up), and groundbreaking Supreme Court justice Thurgood Marshall (Marshall) brought history to life with a mesmerizing mix of passion, flair, and incredible care for preserving their humanity. Chadwick expertly dug past the general public’s larger-than-life understanding of these men to exhume their humanity and frame their lives in the midst of racism, tragedy, and triumph.

His work represents the breadth and depth of what it means to be Black. It examines how we somehow manage to be profound agents of change and creativity under the pressure of oppression and systemic racism. So his casting as the incomparable T’Challa felt like a thrilling yet natural next step in depicting our stories. Chadwick brought such nuance, physical prowess, and exhilarating charm to the Wakandan king. He certainly made a global impact through the popular Marvel character, proving what we already knew to be a fact. A Black superhero can have international appeal.

Rolling Stone/YouTube

Yet, Blackness is still an undeniable cornerstone in Black Panther‘s story. The film touched a legion of Black people in a deeply personal and collective way.  Seeing him don that epic Panther suit made countless Black nerds, geeks, and movie fans feel an indescribable level of self-empowerment and validation. It left us with this swelling of pride and unbridled excitement. We had a pocket of hope and joy in a world that tries to snuff it out of us at every turn.

How lucky are we to have walked the Earth at the same time as Chadwick? To have experienced his work and level of brilliance in real-time? Thank God we went incredibly hard for Black Panther, showing up to theaters with incredible costumes and Afrocentric outfits. We cheered, we cried, and we shared a transformative and healing experience together.

Kayla Meyer, a Black woman, created the viral hashtag #WhatBlackPantherMeansToMe which inspired fans to speak up on Twitter about how the film changed their lives. Chadwick got to see and acknowledge a lot of this love. And, he deserved every ounce of that positive energy, that joy, that celebration, and the understanding that his art holds a sacred space in the sphere of our experiences.

In a speech honoring his one time benefactor and eventual co-worker Denzel Washington, Chadwick says, “Let he who has watered, be watered. Let he who have given, be given to.” Hopefully, the outpouring of support and love from fans of his work made him feel as those he received proper honor.

In Da 5 Bloods, Chadwick’s character is an ancestor, a guiding light, and revered leader who has made a profound impact on his squad. It’s another befitting role for the South Carolina raised and Howard University trained director and thespian who quickly became a hero and legend to so many. He found his life’s calling and walked in it well—something many of us aspire to do.

Chadwick embodied grace, poise, and a quiet power that felt both regal and everyday man. He was an incredibly dapper and smooth ass dude with unique style, an infectious sly grin, an swoon worthy appreciation for books, and a gait that oozed confidence. Chadwick didn’t owe us anything outside of his work but he gave so much of himself anyway. He honored us with countless Wakanda Forever salutes and hugs to groundbreaking statements about what it means to be young, Black, and gifted. Chadwick stood for Black liberation and justice and for our stories to be at the forefront. He was always for the culture.

He balanced such an ethereal presence with moments of clever wit. He was the King of Shady Looks and keeping Marvel details under wraps. The secret comedian who loved to laugh in interviews and poke a bit of fun at himself (and T’Challa) on Saturday Night Live. The guy who carries a tune with such Southern flair and playfully chops it up with fans. Those moments gave fans lovely peeks into his personality—a true treat considering his intense privacy.

It’s incredibly heartbreaking to think that he poured his heart, body, and soul into his craft while trying to take care of himself. It’s also understandable why he chose to keep this knowledge within his inner circle. The world has a troubling way of filtering a person’s entire life and experiences through a diagnosis.

It tries to tell people what they can and should be doing while living with a disability and that’s not okay. It was his life and he was able to maintain some control and privacy over it. The mere fact that those around him respected him enough to not speak on his private life says so much. It shows how much they loved him and speaks to his keen discernment to surround himself with real ones.

Perhaps there is a gorgeous ancestral plane on the other side of this life. A wide, expansive place of peace with lovely swaying grass, lush trees, and a brilliantly colorful sky. If so, I hope Chadwick’s ancestors are embracing him there. His energy, work, ideals, and legacy transcend mortality. We will feel it for generations to come.

The words “thank you” feel too small to acknowledge the gift Chadwick gave to us. I am sending love to those who worked with him and know him best. And, I will love and adore Chadwick Boseman forever.

Featured Image: Rolling Stone/YouTube

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Janelle Monáe is what Hollywood likes to call a triple threat. As a singer, songwriter, and actress, she is a showbiz powerhouse. She’s made hit songs, and she’s starred in movies like Hidden Figures and the upcoming thriller, Antebellum. And now she has her sights set on the kingdom of Wakanda in Black Panther 2 and playing one of Marvel’s most iconic female heroes.

Focus Features

In an interview with Empire Magazine, Monáe mentioned talking to director Ryan Coogler about a possible appearance in the upcoming sequel. The character she most wants to play? It’s none other than the X-Men’s Storm. A character who, as Marvel Comics fans know, was once married to King T’Challa. She was Queen of Wakanda.

Marvel Comics

In the interview, she mentions how the cast and crew of the first Black Panther hung out in her Atlanta studio while they filmed. This was when she recorded her last album. She mentioned to everyone involved how she’d love to be in a potential sequel and how her dream role was that of Ororo Munroe, a.k.a Storm. She told Empire the following:

“I definitely have thrown it out there. One of my dreams has always been to play Storm. I don’t know if she comes in Black Panther, but it would be a dream to have her in it. I don’t know where they are with that. A lot of women have played Storm and they’ve done an exceptional job, and I would love to be in that line of artists and get to do Storm justice.”

Marvel Comics

Rumors have stated that Storm could play a pivotal role in the Black Panther sequel—particularly since the Disney/Fox merger is complete. It’s also rumored that Kevin Feige would like to introduce the major individual X-Men characters in separate projects before bringing them together for an X-Men team-up film. Given Storm’s history with Black Panther, it makes sense for her to show up in a sequel. Especially if other rumors are true and Black Panther 2‘s villain is Namor the Sub-Mariner, another famous Marvel mutant.

Janelle Monáe certainly resembles comic book Storm more than any of the two actresses who have already portrayed her. The only drawback is that she’s only five feet tall, a far cry from the statuesque weather goddess. But hey, that’s why they make lifts. Besides, Hollywood has been convincing us for years that Tom Cruise isn’t super short. She fits the part in every other way, so let’s hope this happens.

Featured Image: Entertainment Tonight  Style/Marvel Comics

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It’s safe to say that T’Challa’s run as the Black Panther would not be as great without Shuri’s brilliant mind. The Wakandan Princess is responsible for taking the country’s vibranium source and crafting into brilliant technology, including his infamous suit. She’s used to working behind the scenes but now Shuri is stepping into her own destiny with Shuri, a Black Panther novel.

The Nic Stone penned adventure isn’t Shuri’s first independent print storyline (she’s had her own comic series) but it will take fans into the character’s mind and life in a new way. The novel is set for a May 5 debut but Marvel, in partnership with Scholastic, is giving fans a small snippet of Shuri what to expect.

Scholastic

In this story, the heart-shaped herbs that give the Black Panther powers are dying—and no one understands why it is happening. Shuri’s investigation of this issue leads her outside Wakanda and into her own journey. The excerpt reveals that Shuri will run into some unknown dangerous man with no one to depend on but herself. She isn’t used to fighting but she’s willing to defend her country at all costs.

Readers will get a peek into the origins of her precious lab, her innermost thoughts, and her typical teenage struggles within her family.  Some of the snippet includes mission logs (presumably from her lab) while others look into a funny interaction between Shuri and her mother Ramonda. Shuri is missing her father and willing to do anything to help her brother stay safe and alive as the King and Black Panther. The novel is aimed towards “tweenage” kids but, of course, anyone can enjoy the ride.

Here, Shuri gets the chance to step outside of her royal comforts, whiz kid lab, and the shadow of her infamous older sibling to prove that she is a force to be reckoned with too. Read the entire excerpt at Marvel.

Featured Image: Scholastic

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“Wakanda Forever” is more than just a Black Panther catchphrase—its a symbol of the movie’s impact on millions of people. The groundbreaking Marvel film inspires a lot of cosplay, art, and other creative celebrations by fans who felt seen through characters like T’Challa, Okoye, and Nakia. Now, a youth group is coming together to put on a Black Panther theater performance to wrap up Black History Month. According to WHYY, The Power Within: Black Panther the Musical is the creation of Faith In Action, a Willingboro, New Jersey, based youth support ministry.

The organization was founded by Amy Dean in 1994 to provide youth with mentors, education resources, and HIV/AIDS prevention, and healthy outlets like performing arts. Dean brings together groups of teens and young adults each year to put on several productions and takes a traveling team of creatives to nearby schools and churches to combat against bullying and drugs.

The Power Within: Black Panther the Musical is their latest effort to give youth an outlet to express themselves and build a positive self-image. Dean wrote a few inspirational songs based on themes in Black Panther, including a tune about not hiding in your own shadow. One actor, Emmanuel Tucker, spoke further with WHYY about what it means to come out out of a shadow and live a purposeful life.

“The songs are about coming out of the shadows, not hiding behind shadows. Coming out as your true self. Don’t let your culture hold you back, but use your culture to define who you really are.”

Black Panther the Musical features both high school students from the Willlingboro area as well as graduates who have come back to participate. The community’s leaders and officials will also appear onstage for one act to show solidarity and support. Dean spoke to WHYY about this moment and said it is all about family. “It’s called ‘One Single Tribe.’ They will all come in and stand on stage and be the village,” Dean said. “It makes all of us a family. The responsibility is not just for the teachers, not just for the parents, it becomes for the community as well.”

Like the film, this musical will explore the peaceful mindset of T’Challa vs. the violence that Killmonger wanted to use in his plans to liberate people. Both of them had valid points, but neither on them were quite on the right track of how to go about making it happen. In the end, it was Nakia who ultimately ended up being right in the film and maybe this will be shown in this theater production too.

The Power Within: Black Panther the Musical will make its debut on February 28 at 7 p.m. ET at the Willingboro High School auditorium. The production is one-weekend only with follow up performances on February 29 and March 1. Hopefully, this musical will inspire not only the people in the room but others who want to honor the film in their own unique ways.

It’s an uplifting and powerful way to show how fictional heroes have a real-life impact on the next generation of creatives.

Header Image: WHYY

The post This BLACK PANTHER Youth Musical Promotes Positive Self-Image appeared first on Nerdist.

As first reported by Deadline, the incredible real-life story of the only person of non-Japanese heritage to ever become a samurai has finally found its star in Black Panther’s Chadwick Boseman. The intriguing project has been in production for a while but will now be moving forward with Boseman as the unique warrior who (some historians believe) hailed from Portuguese Mozambique.

Yasuke’s story is an utterly singular: a young African man was believed to have been enslaved by Jesuits and taken to Japan by the slaver and missionary Alessandro Valignano in 1579. There he met the warlord Obe Nobunaga and later entered into his service. During his time in Japan he became Nobunaga’s retainer, weapon bearer, bodyguard, and eventually earned the title of samurai. The legendary warrior has been well-known throughout Japan for the last four centuries, but this will likely be the first time that most Westerners have heard about his story.

Not only was Yasuke a talented fighter, but due to his enslavement, he was taken all over the world and could speak many languages by the time he reached Japan. During his time there, he became fluent in Japanese and grew to be a close confidante of Nobunaga, the head of one of the most powerful clans in the country. Yasuke’s time as a samurai did not last for long as Nobunaga was overthrown soon after, but the fate of the first African samurai is widely unknown, though it is thought that he survived the coup and returned to the service of the Jesuits.

Deadline’s description of the movie is a streamlined version of those events that eradicates some of the less clear-cut parts of Yasuke’s legend (like the lack of clarity over his birthplace, which may have been Ethiopia, South Sudan, or Europe, and the fact that there were possibly other African people in Japan prior to Yasuke, some of whom may have also been revered warriors). Deadline’s write-up also focuses on Yasuke’s relationship with Nobunaga. “The first black man to set foot on Japanese soil, Yasuke’s arrival aroused the interest of Nobunaga, a ruthless warlord seeking to unite the fractured country under his banner. A complex relationship developed between the two men as Yasuke earned Nobunaga’s friendship, respect–and ultimately, the honor, swords, and title of samurai.”

Boseman, who will also be producing the project, told Deadline that “the legend of Yasuke is one of history’s best-kept secrets, the only person of non-Asian origin to become a samurai. That’s not just an action movie, that’s a cultural event, an exchange, and I am excited to be part of it.” It’ll be incredibly exciting to see where this movie goes, especially as it’s rare to have a Hollywood project that solely centers people of color, let alone the world’s first black samurai!

Images: Disney

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Despite watching T’Challa disappear in a cloud of dust in Avengers: Infinity War, there has never been any doubt we will get a sequel to Black Panther. The movie was a cultural phenomenon, a critical hit, and a box office bonanza. This month it also became the first superhero movie ever to be nominated by the Academy Awards for Best Picture. But while there has never been a question of whether we will get a followup, we don’t know a lot about the film other than Ryan Coogler will return to write and direct the movie which could begin production in late 2019. However, at this year’s SAG Awards, where the movie took home the trophy for best ensemble, the cast seemed to give away what would be a monumental surprise – the return of Michael B. Jordan’s Erik Killmonger. On today’s Nerdist News, host Jessica Chobot look at the different ways it could happen and what each would mean for Black Panther 2.

It seemed pretty clear Killmonger died at the end of Black Panther, but that has never prevented any comic book character, on the page or the silver screen, from coming back (Loki says hi – multiple times). And there are plausible, logical ways it could turn out Killmonger is still alive, especially when he might not have been capable of dying thanks to the heart-shaped herb. Plus there’s always the Ancestral Plane, which could see him return while still being dead.Maybe he’s hanging out there with T’Challa’s dust until they both come back for the sequel.But what do you think? Do you want Killmonger to come back? How would you like to see that happen? Tell us in the comments below.

The post Here’s How Killmonger Could Return in BLACK PANTHER 2 appeared first on Nerdist.

Black Panther was king at the box office and is now Oscar nominated, so of course a sequel will be on the way. But could the retainer breaking Michael B. Jordan be returning as Killmonger? Jessica has the details on today’s Nerdist News!

Do you think he’ll actually come back? Let us know in the comments below!

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Earlier this month Black Panther, a smash hit at box offices around the world, made history by becoming the first superhero movie to ever be nominated for Best Picture by the Academy Awards. It remains to be seen if it will take home the big prize at the Oscars, but the film has already earned one major accolade during this year’s award season: the SAG for Best Ensemble. Ryan Coogler’s industry-changing film about the technologically advanced African nation of Wakanda won the Screen Actor’s Guild’s Outstanding Performance by a Cast, which officially included 12 members of the film. It beat out A Star Is Born, Crazy Rich Asians, BlacKkKlansman, and Bohemian Rhapsody. Leading man Chadwick Boseman accepted the trophy on behalf of his co-stars and talked about the film’s cultural significance and its importance for black actors.

That was a great speech, so it’s really fortunate Michael B. Jordan didn’t follow his character’s lead and try to usurp Boseman during. The movie also took home the SAG for Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture, showing just how much talent was featured in the film.Just like with the Golden Globes, it’s natural to try and look at the SAG Awards as an indicator of who and what might take home Oscars this year, but without any Oscar equivalent to Best Ensemble there’s likely not much to glean from this result. But it does confirm what we already knew: Black Panther is loaded with talent.

Featured Image: Marvel

The post The BLACK PANTHER Cast Moved Us All with Their SAG Acceptance Speech appeared first on Nerdist.

In news that is maybe not surprising but is supremely important, Ryan Coogler is returning to Marvel for Black Panther 2. The Hollywood Reporter says the accomplished director has agreed to return to direct and write the sequel. With his schedule getting busier (he was most recently announced as producer for Space Jam 2), we’re relieved to hear he’ll be returning to Wakanda and the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).Marvel has to get through a few things in 2019 before production can start on the next Black Panther movie, namely Captain Marvel and the as yet untitled Avengers 4. The latter will presumably be important in guiding Coogler’s script into the next phase of the MCU, because as of the end of Infinity War, T’Challa was killed by Thanos’ snap and looking pretty dusty. But hey, if Avengers 4 doesn’t reverse T’Challa’s death, it would make space for Shuri to take on the mantle of Black Panther and serve as queen of Wakanda–something she’s done in Marvel Comics.As for which villains might appear in the sequel, we have a few ideas, including the Skrulls and Doctor Doom. The Disney and Fox merger should be complete long before Black Panther 2 starts coming together, so Coogler has a whole host of Marvel characters at his fingertips.[brightcove video_id=”5737453255001″ brightcove_account_id=”3653334524001″ brightcove_player_id=”rJs2ZD8x”]The Hollywood Reporter‘s sources claim Disney and Marvel’s plan is to begin production in late 2019 or early 2020.Are you surprised to learn Coogler is back? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Images: Marvel

Amy Ratcliffe is the Managing Editor for Nerdist and the author of Star Wars: Women of the Galaxy (pre-order it on Amazon). Follow her on Twitter.

The post BLACK PANTHER Sequel Signs Ryan Coogler to Write and Direct appeared first on Nerdist.

Black Panther showed the entire MCU that Wakanda isn’t just the most technologically advanced nation in the world, it has arguably its greatest scientist (Vision would agree). But when Shuri made her brother King T’Challa a new suit, it didn’t just contain an amazing new ability, it contained a hidden message as old as time. Because even when you are making sure your country’s greatest protector has the most up-to-date resources possible to help keep his people safe from a dangerous universe, it’s still nice to let your mom know how much you care.

Reddit user thecruiser_ used a Wakandan translation key to decipher a message we didn’t realize was there when Shuri tested the kinetic energy feature on T’Challa’s new Panther Habit suit. A series of purple letters appeared briefly when she pressed on its chest, and after freezing it and translating it into English, Shuri’s subtle message to the world was revealed. So what did it say? Something insightful? Some kind of ancient Wakandan wisdom? Nope, it was much simpler–and far sweeter–than that.

“I love you Mom.”

Aww, what a nice thing to include in one of the world’s most powerful suits, especially considering they had recently lost their father King T’Chaka in Vienna. Family is everything.

This might not change anything about the movie, but it does somehow make us love Shuri even more–in any language.

What is your favorite small Easter egg from a Marvel movie? Tell us in the comments section below.

Images: Marvel

The post T’Challa’s Black Panther Suit Has a Sweet Hidden Message appeared first on Nerdist.

This summer, the eyes of the whole world have turned to Russia to see which country will emerge victorious at the 2018 World Cup. But one nation we wish we could be rooting for is notably absent from the globe’s most popular sporting event. No, we’re not talking about the United States—we’re talking about Wakanda. But even though we can’t cheer for the Black Panther soccer team, we can still appreciate how stylish they would have looked on the pitch, thanks to one artist who imagined what the team’s uniforms might have looked like.

Buffalo-based illustrator and graphic designer Mark Yesilevskiy created beautiful home and away jerseys for the Wakanda national football team (who likely didn’t qualify for the tournament because half their team recently disappeared). The home uniforms are inspired by the iconic look of Wakanda’s greatest hero, the Black Panther. While an all-black jersey would normally pose problems for athletes running around outside in the summer, we doubt Shuri would have much trouble coming up with a piece of technologically enhanced material that doesn’t attract the sun.

For his red away jerseys, which might be even better, Yesilevskiy took inspiration from the traditional dress of the Dora Mijaje, Wakanda’s famed all-female fighting force.

Somewhere in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Wakanda’s team took the field in uniforms based on the country’s badass women and it was awesome. It was probably a great pick-me-up after that whole Thanos dusting thing.

The only downside to these gorgeous jerseys? They are only designs and we can’t actually wear them to show who we wish we could root for at this year’s World Cup.

Wakanda Soccer Forever!

Images: Mark Yesilevskiy

More on Marvel!

• Will Sony create a Spider-Man-less Spider-Verse?
• Here are 12 comics Avengers we’d still love to see on the big screen!
• Is Ant-Man and the Wasp a breath of fresh air?

The post Wakanda Enters the World Cup with These Gorgeous Soccer Uniforms appeared first on Nerdist.

Earlier this year, director Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther movie struck a chord with audiences around the world and quickly became a cultural phenomenon. Even Avengers: Infinity War hasn’t been able to catch up with Black Panther‘s nearly $700 million domestic haul. Now, The Smithsonian is celebrating Black Panther‘s success by displaying Chadwick Boseman‘s costume as part of its first-ever African American Film Festival.

Via the Smithsonian, the Black Panther costume on display will be the one Boseman wore in Captain America: Civil War and the early part of the Black Panther film. Black Panther’s outfit was given an upgrade during his solo movie, but that particular costume won’t be a part of this exhibit. Fans hoping to see the original suit will have to visit the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington D.C. during the aforementioned film festival, which will take place from October 24 to October 27.

That’s an extremely short window of time to catch a glimpse of movie history. However, Smithsonian magazine notes that the museum is “currently finalizing plans to exhibit the Black Panther costume on a permanent basis.” Additionally, The Smithsonian has also acquired a signed Black Panther shooting script and a few pages from the spec script, as well as a number of pictures from behind-the-scenes that document the making of the movie.

Are you excited to see Black Panther’s costume potentially receive a permanent place at The Smithsonian? What other costumes from the film would you like to see up close? Let us know in the comment section below!

Images: Marvel Studios

More from the MCU

• What the new Spider-Man movie’s title means for Peter Parker
• Check out the first reactions to Ant-Man and the Wasp
• Evangeline Lilly is sick of MCU stars complaining about their costumes

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Anyone who’s worked in an office has no doubt experienced the peril of a coworker, just back from an amazing vacation, who can’t seem to stop talking about it. We’re sure you’ve had to listen to Madge from accounting drone on and on about how much better the food is in Italy, or Horatio from personnel wag his chin about how efficient public transportation is in Luxembourg, or Oswald from the front desk describe in painstaking detail how there’s no more beautiful sight than a moonlit Sheboygan. But trust us, you’ve never endured something quite so treacherous as a coworker who’s just arrived home from a trip to Wakanda.

[brightcove video_id=”5794999926001″ brightcove_account_id=”3653334524001″ brightcove_player_id=“rJs2ZD8x”]Our latest Nerdist Presents treats the staff here at Nerdist to just that: a coworker who has made it her business to make everyone aware just how much cooler Black Panther’s home nation of Wakanda is than our fair Burbank… or pretty much anywhere else, for that matter. And sure, we concede—Wakanda’s got some of the most amazing technology, culture, and battle rhinos of any place on Earth. But do we have to hear you blather on about it, Aliza? It’s no easy feat for most of us to make it over to Wakanda, and at some point you’re really just rubbing salt on the wound.

All that said, we can’t imagine any one of us would be much humbler if we got to hang out with T’Challa and snag our own personal space-rides, so who can blame her?

Let us know which comic book location you’d most like to pay a visit to!

More fun stuff!

• This record-breaking super fan has 31 Marvel tattoos
• Which Jurassic Park character would you trust most with your life?
• How will Ant-Man and the Wasp connect to Infinity War?

The post Man, It’s Annoying When Your Coworker Gets Back from Wakanda appeared first on Nerdist.

As we learned in Black Panther, Wakanda is home to many riches, most notably Vibranium. Those in the know, like the villainous Klaue, will do anything to get their hands on the material in order to use it for dastardly purposes and/or sell it to the highest bidder. In the third short in LEGO Marvel Super Heroes – Black Panther: Trouble in Wakanda, Klaue and Killmonger take Shuri in order to use her to access the precious substance, and you catch the exclusive debut of “The Maze of Tal-Recs” right here at Nerdist.

Of course Shuri has the situation handled because she’s a literal genius, but it’s a blast to watch T’Challa and Okoye work together. And yes, that’s an evergreen statement. Whether T’Challa and Okoye, the general of the Dora Milaje, are storming the field together in battle or dodging brick-triggered traps in a LEGO maze, I’m here for it. They’re more than a match for the Maze of Tal-Recs and Klaue and Killmonger, and thanks to the nature of LEGO stories, they crack charming jokes along the way… though the end of the short is quite serious.

What will happen next? Will they stop Killmonger? Well, “The Maze of Tal-Recs” is the third short in a series. All five shorts in LEGO Marvel Super Heroes – Black Panther: Trouble in Wakanda will air on Disney XD on June 3 at 11AM ET.

Images: Disney XD/Marvel

Amy Ratcliffe is the Managing Editor for Nerdist. Follow her on Twitter and keep up with her Disney food adventures on Instagram.

Extend your trip to Wakanda!

• Black Panther‘s cinematographer Rachel Morrison on the film.
• A cut scene between Okoye and W’Kabi.
• Why Erik Killmonger is a new kind of villain.

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Black Panther fans are still wishing they could travel to Wakanda, but this summer you can get a little closer to that beautiful nation with the first ever Wakandacon. As the team behind the convention says, this convention is the first of its kind, celebrating “Afro-futurism, tech, and entertainment.” The convention will also celebrate black superheroes in film, gaming, television, and comic books.

As the AV Club reports, Wakandacon will run from Aug. 3 to 5 in Chicago, Illinois. As Ali Barthwell, who co-founded Wakandacon with siblings David and Matt and producers Lisa Beasley and Taylor Witten, said in a statement, “The moment we saw Wakanda in film, we wanted a space to gather and talk about everything African-Americans are passionate about. Afro-Futurism is about imagining a future for Black people all around the world. Wakandacon is a space for Black people to look past the present and into our future.”

via GIPHY

Though there aren’t a great deal of specifics about the convention available just yet, this convention is going to feature entertaining and educational programming as well as provide a place for African-American small business owners to promote and sell their products.

You can head to the Wakandacon official website to get more information about the convention, as well as purchase a badge. There are a limited number of discounted weekend badges available, but a regularly priced weekend badge will set you back about $35. And if you can’t make it out to Chicago, never fear—you can still take part in this groundbreaking event digitally. Digital passes are available to let you watch all of the Wakandacon fun on a dedicated streaming channel.

As David Barthwell said in the Wakandacon press release, “Our people have been hungry for something like this for a very long time, and I hope that Wakandacon only adds to the fire.” We love seeing what a huge impact Black Panther has had on fans, and how it has empowered so many people. Wakandacon seems like the natural extension of that amazing movie, and we can’t wait to see what amazing things come out of that convention.

Are you planning to attend Wakandacon? Tell us about your convention plans in the comments!

Feature Image: Marvel

More from Wakanda!

• Watch Chadwick Boseman’s Black Panther sketches on SNL
• Infinity War is kind of a Black Panther sequel in new preview
• How does the Black Panther animated series hold up?

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It was pretty much a given that Chadwick Boseman would reference Black Panther when the actor hosted Saturday Night Live last night. But how? And when? Killmonger’s dad Sterling K. Brown already beat him to the punch with a Black Panther-meets-the-ancestors skit, but surely the actual T’Challa actor would not be upstaged. And indeed he was not.

In the first Panther-themed bit of the night, Boseman appeared as T’Challa on Black Jeopardy, demonstrating that while it might take a moment or two for a technologically advanced African king to fully get into the African-American experience, his keen grasp of logic would quickly get acclimated and help him realize just how bad a neighbor’s potato salad could potentially be. Also, he showed Chris Redd just how you actually play Black Panther.

In the second Wakandan-themed skit of the night, Boseman plays a possibly unhinged fellow who helps us figure out exactly when it’s okay for non-black audience members to give the Wakanda salute. Hey, it is something you might have worried about, or maybe should have.

If you’re wondering why Black Panther might not be up to speed on particularly oblivious white guys, just remember that he hasn’t actually met Thor yet. Though at least the Norse god of absthunder wouldn’t likely mispronounce things as hideously as Pete Davidson and Beck Bennettt do.

Did Boseman do his on-camera royal blood proud? Does the heart-shaped herb confer superior recipe skills upon its consumer? Leave your thoughts below in Th’Comments.

Image: NBC

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Everyone loved Marvel’s latest, Black Panther. And while there was a lot to love in that movie, one of the best characters in that film was absolutely T’Challa’s younger sister, Shuri. At only 16 years old, Shuri is one of the most intelligent people in the entire world and a total STEM icon. The amazing tech that she has created in her lab in Wakanda is absolutely breathtaking, she’s funny, kind, and super stylish. Basically, she’s totally the girl you want to have on your team when you’re going up against bad guys.

And since Marvel is a part of Disney, as princess of Wakanda, Shuri is technically a Disney Princess. So it’s a bit ridiculous there isn’t a solid Shuri Barbie on the market, right? Well, one clever crafter over at the YouTube Channel My Froggy Stuff decided to fix that and released a DIY tutorial to make your very own Shuri doll. The doll mashes up a few of Shuri’s iconic looks and added a bit of a twist on her gorgeous white dress. However, the doll is absolutely stunning, and would absolutely make Shuri proud.

One of the most amazing things about this video is the expert craftsmanship that went into creating this doll. The patience and skill that went into changing the doll’s hair alone–not even styling it, just switching the type of hair used on the doll–is just amazing. This doll looks like it was professionally made, and paired with the DIY lab she creates to go along with the Shuri doll, this is a true collectible.

It’s not surprising, as this isn’t the first amazing craft/DIY video that My Froggy Stuff has made. From other dolls to accessories and more, this woman has the skill and imagination to create some truly amazing projects. We love the creativity she’s exhibited in creating this gorgeous doll, and it’s even cooler to see her make toys that celebrate women that young girls can look up to.

What do you think of My Froggy Stuff’s Shuri doll? Have you ever tried to customize a Barbie? Tell us about it in the comments!

Feature Image: My Froggy Stuff

More of the nerdy things you need!

• Ava DuVernay to direct DC’s upcoming New Gods movie!
• Black Panther‘s Angela Bassett reads Killmonger’s lines and nails it!
• You can now learn Klingon online!

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The post This DIY Shuri Barbie Is Absolute Perfection appeared first on Nerdist.

Actress Angela Bassett is, quite simply, a national treasure. How awesome is Ms. Bassett? Well, the folks over at BuzzFeed News recently got the actress to  “audition” for the part of Erik Killmonger in Black Panther, instead of the part she actually played in the film, Queen Ramonda. And as you can see below, she kicks ass–as she always does. She can’t help it.

We asked Angela Bassett to audition as Killmonger and IT’S. SO. GOOD. #WakandaForever pic.twitter.com/3XKWBGsXpR

— AM to DM by BuzzFeed News (@AM2DM) March 15, 2018

As great as Michael B. Jordan was as the villain, I actually wouldn’t mind travelling to the alternate universe where Bassett plays Killmonger. Although first, I’d want to travel to the alternate universe where she was cast to play Storm in the X-Men franchise back in the day, because who wouldn’t want that?For those of you only now discovering her awesomeness thanks to her role as T’Challa’s mother in Black Panther, then you should all complete some Bassett-focused homework right away and watch her amazing performances in  several seasons of American Horror Story, Strange Days, and her Oscar nominated turn as Tina Turner in What’s Love Got To Do With It. Her performance as Tina Turner will change your life.

In all seriousness however, here’s hoping Kevin Feige gives her more to do in future Black Panther or Avengers films, because it would be a crime to waste someone who has so much talent. And if they want to break the rules and also cast her as Storm in the eventual MCU version of the X-Men, I will totally pretend not to notice she’s playing another role in the same franchise. It would be worth it.

What’s your favorite Angela Bassett role? Be sure to sound off in the comments.

Images: Marvel Studios

Make yours Marvel!

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By now, most of us have seen Black Panther. It’s an absolutely brilliant movie filled with amazing, talented actors. And if we’re honest, it’s also filled with loads of really, really attractive people. One such individual is Michael B. Jordan. Jordan has a lot of kickass scenes in the movie, but there is one particular scene where his character, Erik Killmonger, takes his shirt off to battle to become king of Wakanda. If we’re all being honest, that scene shook a lot of us, but for one movie viewer, the thirst she felt in that moment gave her near super-human strength.

As BuzzFeed reports, Sophia Robb, an 18-year-old young woman from San Francisco was so overcome with thirst for Jordan in that moment that she literally snapped the metal in her retainer. But I mean, who can blame her right?
If you’ve had any kind of orthodontic work done on your teeth, you know that you’ve got to work really hard to just accidentally break your retainer without the help of a particularly pernicious food or getting hit in the mouth by something. However, the scene gave Robb powers beyond her own understanding and managed to do just that. Apparently, when Jordan took off his shirt, Robb pressed her tongue against her permanent retainer and clenched her jaw so hard that it caused the metal to snap right off of her teeth.

But let’s get real, who among us hasn’t destroyed a piece of orthodontia after seeing our celebrity crush on the big screen, am I right?

Understandably, Robb was worried about reporting this story to her orthodontist. And while it ultimately went fine and she shared a good laugh about it with her orthodontist, she later happened to notice a post that went semi-viral on Tumblr. The story told in the post sounded…quite familiar. Upon further inspection of the Tumblr post’s creator, Robb noticed that the poster was none other than her own orthodontist. Robb wasted no time in letting the internet know what happened.

Wait. That girl is me. That is my orthodontist’s tumblr. This is a post about me? I’m going to kill myself https://t.co/ErDqESPrWj

— Sophia (@pixyrue) March 5, 2018

I WHEEZED pic.twitter.com/6aRep1AWXN

— mia (@lvstbleu) March 4, 2018

It didn’t take long for the post and Robb’s reaction to come to the attention of Michael B. Jordan himself. Obviously flattered (and maybe slightly intimidated over the superhuman strength that Robb is apparently only just realizing she has) Jordan followed Robb back on Twitter and even offered to help her out with her…unique and unexpected orthodontic expenses.

.@pixyrue since I feel partly responsible for breaking your retainers 🤷🏾‍♂️ let me know if I can replace them 😅

— Michael B. Jordan (@michaelb4jordan) March 6, 2018

It’s a tale as old as time. Girl sees boy in movie, girl snaps her retainer clean out of her mouth powered solely by her sheer thirst, and boy pays for the replacement retainer. Romance!

What is your favorite online celebrity/fan interaction story? Let’s talk about it in the comments!

Gif Credit: Giphy

Feature Image: Disney/Marvel

More of the nerdy things you need!

• Chadwick Boseman gives Black Panther fans the surprise of a lifetime!
• Black Panther‘s success leads to Disney setting up a STEM Center in Oakland!
• Black Panther 2 could spell doom for the MCU!

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Black Panther is a movie phenomenon; it’s breaking box office records left and right. This is more than just another Marvel superhero movie, especially for African Americans, who are finally seeing a lead hero who honors them and their culture on the big screen. In light of this fact, on an episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon this week (via Variety),  Fallon arranged for select Black Panther fans to get the shock of a lifetime by bringing Chadwick Boseman in to surprise them on the set of the show.

Each fan was told they had been specifically chosen to film a special video message to Boseman, telling the actor all about just what it is that Black Panther means to them. Just that part of the video alone is incredible. But all the while, Boseman was watching and listening to them from behind a curtain. About halfway through each of the messages, the actor comes out and surprises fans. To say they’re overjoyed to see the man who plays T’Challa is an understatement.

Each of the fans had a very different reaction, and one fan said he’s such a huge fan of the film, “he’d seen it twice in theaters and once on bootleg.” (I guess that’s a compliment?) But maybe my favorite is the mother and her young son, who told Boseman her son’s life “had been defined by Barack Obama and now Black Panther.”

What did you think of Chadwick Boseman’s surprise visit with the fans? Be sure to let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Images: Marvel

More from Wakanda!

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