Wakanda Forever and the 'Black Panther effect' on Hollywood
When Black Panther hit cinemas in 2018 it was a global phenomenon that mesmerised audiences. It was Marvel's first film with a predominantly black cast and was hailed by many as revolutionary. From the costumes to the characters' names, for many black viewers in particular, it was a watershed moment – the first time they felt like they could see themselves on screen in a major Hollywood film. Discussions online centred around what African-inspired outfits people would wear to screenings and across the globe, black communities organised special screenings to celebrate this monumental occasion.
It also defied the industry myth that suggested big-budget black films were not bankable internationally. The film broke global box office records, grossed over $1.3 bn worldwide.
For entertainment writer Shanelle Genai, Black Panther "felt like a giant cultural shift". "[It] was a positive and vibrant portrayal of black people on screen which some people had not seen before," she explains.
Writer Mike Gauyo, agrees people "were proud of the representation they were seeing". That representation extended beyond the actors to the film's soundtrack, which featured prominent black artists. Film critic Kathia Woods believes people were excited because they were "getting to see black lives that weren’t impoverished".
Last Friday, its much-anticipated sequel Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was released, making $330 mn dollars globally at the weekend box office and earning positive reviews. The sequel begins with the death of T'Challa, aka Black Panther himself. Depicting the Wakanda kingdom reeling in shock, it acts as an outlet for the audience's collective grief over the death of a admired icon, on and off screen. Genai points out, the film taps into the wider sense of loss that "has been an overarching theme for a lot of people" during the pandemic.
"All of us walking into theatres are aware that the star of this franchise tragically died before they could even film a scene," says Kelley Carter, senior entertainment reporter for ESPN. She points out how, on top of the film's returning cast of Wakandan heroes, the film's villain Namor (played by Mexican actor Tenoch Huerta) is being positively received by critics and audiences. "We've never seen a film [with both black and brown lead characters] with this kind of a budget being made before – it feels monumental."
It seems a good time to reflect on how Hollywood has changed or not when it comes to embracing black stories.
Has it led to an uptick in major blackfocused films? For Carter, there have been some signs of progress on this front. We have seen Nigerian-American director Chinonye Chukwu's Till and Gina Prince-Bythewood's The Woman King making waves, while next month the much-anticipated Whitney Houston biopic I Wanna Dance with Somebody, directed by Kasi Lemmons, will hit screens. There have been two major black horror film successes: Jordan Peele's Nope, which made over $170 mn at the global box office, and the horror reboot Candyman directed by Nia DaCosta, which made $77 mn worldwide.
Aside from the question of whether we are seeing enough black stories, the nature of the stories being told continues to cause debate. In particular, critics have pointed out with increasing frequency the way in which film can prioritise the platforming of narratives centred on "black trauma", from police brutality and lynchings to slavery. The latter, in particular, remains a recurring topic in US film and TV. For Gauyo, at times "the slave narrative has been so overdone, but in ways that have been redundant". What's more, black people are not "monolithic", emphasises Gauyo, and "more stories from "different [black] perspectives" would be welcomed. Genai would like to see a greater amount of everyday stories that reflect contemporary black life and feature relatable, flawed characters alongside the narratives rooted in fantasy and make-believe, like Black Panther.