What Black Panther does need is to blow the roof off the box office and continue the reign of films made by People of Color and Women that are OWNING the industry. So, I thought I would include some reasons why YOU (the non-Marvel fangirl/boy) should see Black Panther!
Black Panther is NOT a Marvel movie
After I saw the screening, my first tweet review was “Black Panther is the un-Marvel, Marvel movie.” What I mean by that is that, Black Panther isn’t your typical super hero fare. It doesn’t follow the (sorry Marvel) formulaic approach to so many of the Marvel movies. And honestly, you don’t even really need to know much about the Marvel Universe for this movie to make sense, because it’s not a huge story point. So, don’t feel like you need to know Captain America’s origin story or who died in The Avengers: Age of Ultron. It really doesn’t matter. But it just might get you hooked on these movies!
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THIS. CAST.
Can we talk about how talented, beautiful and fly they are? As if we didn’t know how good Black Panther was going to be from all the breathless reviews and stanning all over the internet, they all showed up to the red carpet like African royalty times a billion. The looks, the hair, the jewels… it was, well, everything.
(Click the images to open in a gallery)
I was lucky enough to be invited to an early screening (humble brag) at Disney last week and I’ve spent a week wondering, HOW IN THE WORLD can I write something about Black Panther that hasn’t already been said? But I kept thinking about the cast. Every single scene is full of amazing actors. Every time a new actor would show up (and it is STACKED with talent), I would be thinking “OH my god, I love them!” and no one disappointed.
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Chadwick Boseman – T’Challa
You might not know him unless you loved 42 or Marshall but I have a feeling we’re about to see A LOT of Chadwick Boseman. He is calm, powerful, sensitive, and surrounded by powerful women without being downplayed. He’s not over-the-top or zany like some of the Marvel characters, but it’s his calm strength that makes you root for him as King of Wakanda… and yea know as Black Panther.
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Lupita Nyongo – Nakia
In my eyes Lupita can do no from. From Seven Years A Slave to Star Wars and now Black Panther, I am in love. Lupita is strong, beautiful and full of agency and her own purpose. Her character Nakia, though at some point was in a relationship with T’Challa is filled with a sense of purpose and calling that does NOT make her a failure on the Bechdel test. In fact, the entire movie doesn’t fail the Brechdel test because Wakanda is a nation filled with strong women, warriors or otherwise and is not worried about stifling their power.
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Michael B Jordan – Erik Killmonger
I include this image not to be gratuitous (I mean…) but because while watching the movie, the grandma-aged lady next to me said “oohhhhhh boy!” when Michael’s character Erik took off his shirt before a fight to reveal these crazy-ass pecs. We get your grandma, we get you. Ladies loooooove Michael. And so does the PornforWomen Insta account. Over the last week I’ve seen so much Michael in my Insta feed I thought I was following him personally. Nope, just ladies feelin’ him. A LOT.
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Sterling K Brown – N’Jobu
Embed from Getty Images
SURPRISE, This Is Us and American Crime Story’s Sterling K Brown is in Black Panther and it was one of my favorite moments seeing him pop up on the screen. I had no idea he was in it but his part is so important to the story. You might need to bring your This Is Us tissues with you.
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Daniel Kaluuya – W’Kabi
You know Daniel from another mega hit, Get Out! But in Black Panther he plays W’Kabi, T’Challa’s second in command and buddy. AND from the undertones of the scene has something going on with Danai Gurira’s Okoye. All I have to say is ‘can someone please send me THAT fanfic?’ Kthanks.
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Danai Gurira – Okoye
I had no idea Danai was in The Walking Dead because I don’t watch it anymore but it’s clear she brought some of the ass-kicking she does on that set over to Black Panther. Danai’s character is the general of the Wakandan army and the right hand woman to King T’Challa. She is goals.
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Letitia Wright – Shuri
Letitia plays T’Challa’s sister and the head of R&D for Wakanda. She’s the woman beyond the cool tech of Wakanda including the remote driving capabilities, Black Panther’s suit, and a ton of other science and tech wonders. She’s also the perfect little sister to T’Challa, bratty and supportive. If I knew sisters could be so cool, I would have asked for parents for one!
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Angela Bassett – Ramonda
I mean… COME ON:
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Martin Freeman and Andy Serkis
The only two white actors in Black Panther are Martin Freeman, who played Bilbo Baggins, and Andy Serkis who played Gollum. They’re the Tolkien white guys.
— Mr. Drinks On Me (@Mr_DrinksOnMe) February 11, 2018
Apparently Martin Freeman and Andy Serkis have been delivering this zinger in their press interviews. Solid joke guys. SOLID.
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Ok, honestly that’s all you need to know. Just go see it!
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