Summary of the Plot
Black Panther is a 2018 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is the 18th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film was directed by Ryan Coogler, who co-wrote the screenplay with Joe Robert Cole, and it stars Chadwick Boseman as T'Challa / Black Panther alongside Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman, Daniel Kaluuya, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker, and Andy Serkis. In Black Panther, T'Challa is crowned king of Wakanda following his father's death, but he is challenged by Killmonger, who plans to abandon the country's isolationist policies and begin a global revolution.
First Appearance
The first black superhero debuted in Marvels 'Fantastic 4' comic in 1966 and then The Panther joined the Avengers two years later in 1968. The famous Fantastic Four found themselves amazed by the gift of a technologically advanced flying vessel in 1966’s FANTASTIC FOUR #52, a present from the people of Wakanda and an invitation to visit their small African nation. Upon landing in a bio-organic mechanical forest, the superhero family fended off a seeming attack by a black-clad individual, only to discover him as T’Challa, the leader of Wakanda and known as their champion, the Black Panther.
Culture inspiration
Wakanda may not be real, but the production team and costume designers were inspired by real African tribes and cultures. here are a few of them: Basotho, Lesotho. Ejagham, Nigeria. Ndebele South Africa. ovaHimba, Namibia. Zulu, South Africa. Maasai, Kenya/Tanzania. Dahomey, Republic of Benin. Igbo, Nigeria.
Kente, Ghana
Towards the end of the movie, King T’Challa, is seen wearing a Kente scarf, the fabric which has its origins in Akan, in Ghana’s Ashanti region, where it was first woven with raffia fibres. Ancient Kente mythology suggests that the idea for weaving Kente was developed based on a spider's web Even though Kente has become widely worn, it was initially only reserved for royals and for special occasions. Kente cloth. Kente comes from the word Kenten, which means basket in Akan dialect Asante. Akan's refer to Kente as Neotoma, meaning woven cloth. It is an Akan royal and sacred cloth worn only in times of extreme importance and was the cloth of kings. Over time, the use of Kente became more widespread.
African American representations in the MCU
Here is a list of black characters in marvel: Black Panther, Luke Cage, The Falcon, Spiderman Miles Morales, Nick Fury, James Rhodes, John Stewart and many more. now yes marvel is showing their diversity by having black characters involved in the MCU, but Black Panther was the one of the first films we have seen without a predominantly white cast. Representation and diversity in the comic book industry has evolved greatly in the past few decades. While Black people have been depicted in comics since the beginning of the medium's creation, their portrayal has not always reflected an accurate depiction of themselves. Mainstream comic publishing companies have had a historical trend of being predominantly white and male, reflecting the lack of representation and inaccurate depictions of Black people in comics. The integration of black characters in mainstream and superhero comics has endured various obstacles and challenges. Historically, Black people have had stereotypical portrayals in comics, with common caricatures like jungle or ghetto stereotypes. In recent years, with the integration of more Black people in mainstream comic writing rooms as well as the creation of comics on digital platforms has changed the representation and portrayals of Black people in comics and has started to reflect the complexities of Black people across the diaspora. Black people have been portrayed in comics since the medium's beginning, with their portrayals often the subject of controversy. The integration of black characters in mainstream and superhero comics has endured various obstacles and challenges. Critics have noted that black men and women have often been portrayed as jungle or ghetto stereotypes and have often been portrayed as sidekicks as opposed to primary characters.
Black Panther star Florence Kasumba has spoken about the importance of Black queer representation in blockbuster films. Speaking exclusively to Digital Spy, Kasumba, who plays Ayo in the Marvel movie, spoke about the significance of having representation in mainstream media, saying: "I think that representation – it doesn’t matter what the topic is. It’s extremely important. "Because you have people sitting out there, thinking there’s something wrong with them, and it’s not. It’s absolutely not," she continued. "We are how we are, and that’s okay. And when you see that in a production like this, with people you really look up to, it makes a big difference, because it should be mainstream, that attitude." Kasumba added: "For me, it’s nothing new but for people who are maybe having a different attitude, they’re watching a movie like that, and thinking, 'Hey, I need to change the way I go through life'."
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