Why Black Panther is the future of film
The location is Wakanda. A fictional, technologically-advanced country set in the heart of the African continent where T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman) rises to take his place as King, but is intercepted by a relentless outsider. The question is this: should the country continue to primarily secure their own safety or reach out and aid the world with their superior technology?
This month will see the film set to gross 1 billion worldwide, which is arguably the most anticipated action movie of the year after the trailer burst onto screens in late 2017. But has Black Panther lived up to the hype? And what exactly is it doing to the industry?
The answer to the first question is a resounding yes.
It's an exciting representation of culture meets modernity; heritage is not only seen but celebrated in a whirlwind of colour and identity. As the first superhero film with an all-black cast it highlights the demand for just that: a film that focuses on black people as leading characters in their own story. It represents development in the industry and, hopefully, will create a difference in social attitude to equality.
Ex Top Boy actor Letitia Wright stars as T'Challa's brilliant, tech-savvy sister, Shuri. Credit: Forbes Magazine, 2018
Lupita Nyong'o as Nakia with Chadwick Boseman as T'Challa, the Black Panther. Credit: Glamour Magazine, 2018
Men and women shine alike. Shuri (Letitia Wright), Okoye (Danai Gurira) and Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o) are strong, powerful women who represent intelligence, loyalty and bravery. Their features are ones we don't often see in lead female characters and its a pleasure to see these brought to the forefront.
Black superheroes matter. The younger generation now have role models which look like them and represent their cultures while holding down positions of power and strength.
Credit: Collider, 2018.
But the film is by no means perfect. Historic oppression is majorly represented by the 'bad guys'' ideals of uprising and claiming back power. While the character development is strong - they are products of an oppressive society influenced by generations of white supremacy - there's no doubt that they are the bad guys. The fact remains: there's still a long way to go and plenty of action left for us to take.
Black Panther is a new starting-point. It's not a one-off or a 'this-is-the-black-version-of-a- superhero-mock-up'. It's the representation that billions (yes - billions) of black people across the globe deserve.