The success and longevity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is one of the world’s greatest wonders in cinema. With “Iron Man” being its debut film in 2008, producer Kevin Feige has overseen a collection of twenty-nine movies and twelve series that has taken the world by storm. Out of Marvel Studios’ many projects, one of their most popular and influential movies is “Black Panther.” Although the MCU was never short on diversity amongst its cast members, featuring plenty of comic characters of color such as James Rhodes/War Machine, Heimdall, and Sam Wilson/Falcon, all lead or title characters have been white, male characters. This all changed thanks to the dynamic duo of actor Chadwick Boseman and director Ryan Coogler, both African Americans, who delivered in “Black Panther.” The film grossed over $1.3 billion in the global box office and received plenty of praise from critics and fans.
Because of the immense success of “Black Panther'' and the ever-expanding continuity and storyline of the Marvel Comics’ adaptation, it is not surprising that a sequel is set to release this year. “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” will be in theaters globally November 11, with plenty of hype and anticipation for what Ryan Coogler and the returning cast members have in store for fans. However, Coogler and company have a new agenda for this film.
The first “Black Panther” film was filled with a plethora of authentic African culture and Black prosperity, having the fictional nation of Wakanda be representative of that. The sequel will seemingly have a similar theme, centering around its main antagonists this time. Mexican actors Tenoch Huerta and Mabel Cadena will be playing the characters “Namor” and “Namora,” characters from the fictional kingdom of Atlantis. As excitement builds for Marvel to explore the underwater world for the first time in cinema, anticipation has also been built up for the portrayal of the Atlanteans and Atlantis itself being heavily inspired by Aztec and Mexican culture. Again, Hispanic actors are not foreign to the MCU with the likes of fan favorite Michael Peña, but highlighting Mexican and African culture side by side in this film is monumental. Hundreds of people across social media took time to express their immense pleasure for the casting decision of Tenoch Huerta and the diligence that Ryan Coogler and Marvel Studios exhibited in the first trailer release. One fan’s Twitter post encompassed the opinions of many Mexicans and Hispanics alike, stating:
“Tenoch Huerta being cast as Namor is big for all brown and Indigenous Mexicans. An actor who barely got any roles in his home country for those two reasons finally has this huge opportunity in one of the largest media franchises in the world. This opens the door” – @redirewolf via Twitter
Mabel Cadena took time to address how she believes her and Huerta’s portrayal in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” will be an important inspiration. In an interview with media company “Cultura Colectiva,” Cadena expressed seeing “this opportunity as a hope. Although we know that things are difficult because there are few opportunities, and some actors and actresses have it more complicated than others, in the end, we are managing to get in. I have a lot of hope, there is still a lot of work ahead, but colleagues like Tenoch Huerta… have worked to open doors for us.” Many fans and critics are already forecasting “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” to be a box office and critical success–but regardless of the outcome, Huerta’s and Cadena’s performances will be undoubtedly memorable.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.