Marvel Studios has produced yet another superhero to dress up as on Halloween. This time, the alter ego is no average Joe, but none other than a king of his own country: T’Challa, played by Chadwick Boseman. The Black Panther was introduced to Marvel Studios in a recent Avengers movie, Captain America: Civil War. No spoilers needed to know that the King of Wakanda will battle a foe against his throne to protect his country and his people. An enemy from T’Challa’s past rises to threaten not only the technologically advanced African country his father formerly ruled over, but also the entire world. With the help of CIA Agent Everett K. Ross and members of the Dora Milaje, the all-female Wakandan special forces team assigned to protect the king and royals, Black Panther is up to lose it all in this fight.
Major appraisal came from the film’s adaptation of African culture in this superhero world. The diversity of the culture shown—the Basotho blankets the warriors used as a protective shield, the queen’s Zulu hat, the ochre-dyed flowing locks of the Himba, the gorgeous fabrics of the Wolof—was encouraging to see in a Hollywood movie when most African cultures are stereotyped down from their diverse culture. This has been celebrated across the nation and the world as a solid step forward to how other cultures can and should be portrayed.
Black Panther featured an all-star ensemble to bring the movie to life. Director Ryan Coogler, who also directed Creed and Fruitvale Station, worked alongside Joe Robert Cole to write the screen-print adaptation of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s Marvel Comics. The cast is no stranger to silver screen success with major actors like Chadwick Boseman, who played Jackie Robinson in the film 42, Michael B. Jordan, who worked alongside the director in Creed and Fruitvale Station, Lupita Nyong’o, an Academy Award winner for the film 12 Years a Slave, and Danai Gurira, who plays Okoye in the film, along with many others.
Grab your friends, treat yourself to some popcorn, and visit Ashley Square Cinema to view Black Panther before it leaves the theater. It’s always free with your DePauw ID!