Black Panther is set to hit theatres in Canada mid-February. If you have been living under a rock and missed seeing the magnificent trailer, you can check it out here.
Marvel Studios announced a “Black Panther” movie back in 2005 when selecting screenwriter Mark Bailey—a double nominated screenplay, documentarian and author—to work on the film. Even though the movie hasn’t yet been released, there’s much to love and be excited about in Black Panther.
First, can we talk about the cast? Chadwick Bosemen plays the main character, a superhero by the name of Black Panther. Two renown names in black hollywood Angela Bassett (Ramonda) and Forest Whitalker (Zuri) are blessing this production! Bassett being both black and a woman over fifty: she is a true inspiration for women in cinema as we all know the margin of opportunities for women in Hollywood shrinks as they get older (and the margin is ever smaller to begin with for black women). Academy award winning Forest Whitalker has been in the industry for decades and played parts in movies that either shed light on black history and culture (e.g.: The Butler by Lee Daniels) or redefined the black role entirely (e.g.: Arrival by Denis Villeneuve). The rest of the cast screams nothing less than black excellence with the example of Oscar winning actress Lupita Nyong’o and five time NAACP image award winner Michael B. Jordan.
The fact that the cast is full of black actors does not only send a message of hope for aspiring actors of minority groups, it also helps to redefine the stereotypical “black” role in Hollywood. For years, black actors have been repeatedly confined to the same types of roles on screen. Many have relentlessly spoken about their lack of opportunities to portray different characters, often only being given roles in stories about family reunions, like at Christmas, weddings and holidays. Although these characters are iconic and ridiculously funny, black actors are limited because, to be honest, how many more of these movies can Hollywood produce? Growing up as a minority and watching movies with all-black casts, I identified those kinds of movies as “ours”, and everything else was for whiter actors and animated individuals (science-fiction, superheroes, Westerns, animation, etc.). I think it’s amazing that Marvel Studios opened up the superhero genre to Black Hollywood and, hopefully, their move will inspire a wave of upcoming projects that inspire and include, rather than limit and exclude in terms of race.
Second, the setting in which Black Panther takes place also holds value. The story takes place in the country of Wakanda—a fictional land, that is meant to represent an African country. What’s so great about the glimpse of the futuristic land we see in the trailer is that it’s not portrayed the way mainstream North America usually depicts Africa. It is not about a starving, underdeveloped, poor or needy for Western support. The people of Wakanda, portrayed by many actors of African descent, are fierce, strong and eloquent. These qualities are rarely connected with the Western ideas of African nations, and portraying them in the world of Wakanda helps to change that stereotype.
Third, the name “Black Panther” has always been historically known to carry deeper messages of hope, in terms of racial concerns and international disputes. The movie title mirrors the name of the revolutionary socialist organization from the 1960’s-70’s, The Black Panthers, appearing during the historical Civil Rights movement. According to The Odyssey, members of the Black Panther group have always been known to fight for justice for those suffering from racism, bigotry, inequalities, and more, in both a figurative and literal way. The upcoming movie is expected to touch on international relations issues between the people of Wakanda and the Western world, which I believe shares a metaphorical message about the way our modern Western relationship to African countries may be problematic.
Strategically, the movie is set to be released in the middle of Black History month. Tickets went on sale in early January. Black Panther has already broken the record for the best first-day advance ticket sales for any Marvel movie. The movie outranked the release of Captain America: Civil War (2016)in ticket sales, which formerly held the trophy for the best first-day pre-sales according to Fandago. This sends the message that all-black cast movies have an equal chance at succeeding alongside other titles, and also challenges the ludicrous belief that movies with minorities draw less audience.
And in that spirit, save the date, stack your snacks and show up with your best crowd, because this movie will be a trailblazing masterpiece.