“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” is a Major Win for Representation
The sequel to the award winning Marvel film starring the people of Wakanda, brings a new layer of needed representation to the screen.
The cast of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” / Courtesy of Marvel Studios
I still remember the first time I watched Black Panther back in 2018. Sitting in the theatre, I felt immense joy and surprise at finally watching a movie so innovative, creative, and fresh. After becoming accustomed to remakes, sequels, and even prequels, Hollywood had finally released something new that would soon captivate audiences around the world. I didn’t know much about the story beforehand but was blown away by the attention to detail behind the creation of Wakanda and the exciting plotline that caused the film to become my favorite Marvel Studios movie.
Despite the exciting action sequences, breathtaking costumes, and brilliant acting, what stood out to me was the representation. Before Black Panther, I had rarely seen a major, big-budget Hollywood film with an almost entirely Black cast that portrayed positive characters.
A few years after Sidney Poitier became the first Black actor to win an Oscar for Best Actor, he said, “(Black people) were so new in Hollywood. There was almost no frame of reference for us except as stereotypical, one-dimensional characters.”
Thanks to the direction of Black Panther’s writer and director Ryan Coogler, the phrase above is gradually no longer describing today’s movies. Now, films with a cast like Black Panther’s, are showing Hollywood executives just how successful movies with representation can be; and that more should be made. Within recent years, there’s been a plethora of movies and tv shows starting to dissolve the typical casting of “old” Hollywood. Now, with movies like Encanto, Hustlers, Crazy Rich Asians, and yes, even Eternals, we’re beginning to see a shift in how movies are made. Creatives across the film industry are showing to push for more diverse casts, and representation of diverse perspectives.
Even with all the progress we’re seeing, Ryan Coogler decided to take it a step further with the blockbuster sequel of Wakanda Forever. Not only do the actors playing characters from Wakanda bring an abundance of representation on screen, but the creation of Talokan showcases a whole other culture and people. Talokan, the newly introduced underwater kingdom, is located in the Atlantic Ocean off of the Yucatán Peninsula. This kingdom is ruled by Namor (Tenoch Huerta), an indigenous man with the purpose to protect his people, the Talokanil. What made seeing Talokan and its people on screen so special for me was the presence and power of indigenous and Latin American characters.
Films showcasing (in this case specifically) indigenous Mexican characters with dignity and under a positive light was something I had never seen before. Where the roots and culture Namor and his people held were celebrated and praised is what became the highlight for me from watching Wakanda Forever.
Similarly, to the film industry in the United States, a lack of representation of people of color persists in international industries as well. In an interview with we are Mitu, Tenoch Huerta stated, “It’s not common in Mexico, Latin America, that a brown-skinned guy could be the main character and have a lead role in movies … Then I jumped to the United States, and I did it here and it’s powerful and deep.” Colorism and racist casting take place all over the world, which further proves the importance of having a film like Black Panther to break that systematic occurrence.
Tenoch Huerta as Namor in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” / Courtesy of Marvel Studios
Additionally, in the same interview, Huerta shared the impact he hopes his role will make on the younger generations, and kids of color, “I’d just say to them, ‘You know, guys…nothing [is] wrong with you, … It was in the eyes of the people that was looking at you, but not in you. Not in your skin, not in your roots, not in your blood, not in your history.’” He concludes the interview by asserting kids to “feel proud.”
All in all, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever not only continues its tradition of stellar representation, but communicates the importance of respecting other cultures, peoples, and beliefs. A film like this one encompasses what I truly love about the movies: the ability to both tell an entertaining story, but also make others feel seen and wholly represented.
Sources:
https://wearemitu.com/wearemitu/entertainment/tenoch-huerta-black-panther/