The Black Panther Trailer Dropped

To say that I await Black Panther with immeasurable anticipation and bated breath is an understatement. I have been admittedly overly dramatic and annoying in my social circles with talk of this project for well over a year. My excitement has been brimming since Marvel announced a Black Panther film back in 2014 among its list of upcoming projects, and the closer that we inch to the release of the film, the more unbearable the waiting becomes.

I was thrilled by the fresh promotional materials on Friday. The poster art depicts T'Challa seated on his throne in a pose that calls back to a famous photo of Huey P. Newton, a treasured Black Panther himself. As for the trailer, I am not being at all hyperbolic when I say that I cried about it, and I know that I am not alone in that.

Lupita Nyong'o quickly won our hearts with her Oscar-winning performance in 12 Years A Slave (2013) and has gone on to solidify her place in the industry with roles in the Star Wars franchise, the upcoming adaptation of Chimamanda Adiche's Americanah, and a yet-to-be-titled misandrist heist film with Rihanna, which was brought to life by the unmatched Black Twitter. As Nakia, she acts alongside her friend and colleague, Danai Gurira, who penned "Eclipsed," a Broadway play starring Lupita. Danai has proven herself one hundred times over as Michonne on AMC's The Walking Dead. We know that she can hold her own as Okoye, a ruthless protector of Wakanda. Florence Kasumba has already left audiences in awe as Ayo, after delivering a single line of dialogue in Captain America: Civil War while towering over Black Widow -- "Move. Or you will be moved." It gave us chills. Just imagine what brilliance she will bring to Black Panther with even more room to shine. We get to see all of these women and more decked out and ready for combat as members of the royal bodyguard. Ready to defend Wakanda with their lives alongside its King. I'll add that the armor and battle gear for the women of the royal guard is the most practical that I have ever seen on women in an action film and does not appear to overtly or subliminally sexualize them in any capacity, and it is more than refreshing.

Angela Bassett has wowed us countless times. Her ability to deliver sincere performances with poise and precision is unparalleled, and she will bring her gifts to the role of Ramonda, the queen mother of Wakanda. T'Challa's sister, Shuri, is brought to life by Letitia Wright (Humans, Cucumber). She's young, tenacious, and ready for action. As the captured Erik Killmonger, Michael B. Jordan is appearing in his third project with Director Ryan Coogler. The two impressed audiences and critics with their work on Fruitvale Station (2012) and Creed (2015), and they recently announced there is another project in store for us with Wrong Answer (release date TBD). Daniel Kaluuya of Netflix's original hit anthology series Black Mirror and Jordan Peele's groundbreaking Get Out (2017) is W'Kabi, T'Challa's second-in-command.

Martin Freeman as Everett Ross (Sherlock, The Hobbit Trilogy) and Andy Serkis as Ulysses Klaue/Klaw (The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Rise of the Planet of the Apes) also make an appearance, reprising previous roles Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), respectively. The cast list also boasts seasoned performers like Forest Whitaker as Zuri, who get just a glimpse of, Phylicia Rashad as an unknown character, and Sterling K. Brown as N'Jobu who appeared to be absent from this trailer, as well as newcomer Winston Duke (Person of Interest, Modern Family) as M'Baku/Man-Ape.

IMDB's latest synopsis of the film reads: "T'Challa, the new leader of the advanced kingdom of Wakanda, must defend his land from being torn apart by enemies from outside and inside the country." From this description and the hints dropped in the trailer, it seems that we are in store for intense attacks coming at Wakanda from all sides. Man-Ape appears to have teamed up with Klaw, while Killmonger seeks to address his own vendetta against T'Challa. And while T'Challa will not be fighting the Klan as he did in the comics, it does appear that he and his warriors will be defending Wakanda from white colonialist ventures, as Klaw seeks to steal their resources. It is poignant to see Africa protected against the violence of colonialism, even if it is only a fiction. Furthermore, there is such significance in seeing a side of Africa that is rarely seen in western media. One that is not poverty or porn. In fact, Wakanda has remained largely hidden from the rest of the world by taking advantage of that familiar "third world" narrative in order to protect their riches, exploiting it for their survival.

Sterling K. Brown described the film as "politically astute" in an interview earlier this year, remarking that it contends with relevant and present social matters for Africans and African Americans alike. I hope this is true and I look forward to being moved by it. We have seen Black faces and bodies in superhero narratives before. Wesley Snipes as Blade is perhaps the most popular one who made it onto the big screen. There's also Will Smith in Hancock (2008) and as Deadshot in Suicide Squad (2016). Of course, we have Mike Colter and company on the small screen with one of Netflix's contribution to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Luke Cage. Don Cheadle shines as James Rhodes/War Machine, and Anthony Mackie executes the role of Falcon with charisma and humor. And we cannot forget about Halle Berry as both Storm and Catwoman, or Michael B. Jordan's turn as Johnny Storm/The Human Torch in Fantastic Four (2015). Daniel Kaluuya actually had a role as Black Death in Kick-Ass 2 (2013). The cult classic The Meteor Man (1993) stars Robert Townsend as a hero protecting his neighborhood against a local gang. We have had glimpses of the possibilities for Black performers in superhero epics, but never have we seen anything like this before. Never have we seen this amount of melanin in a film of this scale.

The excitement for this film is echoing across social media platforms like rapid fire, and we simply cannot contain ourselves as we wait impatiently for the chance to see so much Black excellence on the big screen during the next Black History Month celebrations. Black Panther is history in the making and it looks like it will be an unbelievably stunning experience and a breathtaking ride.

Sources:

http://atlantablackstar.com/2017/01/11/sterling-k-brown-says-black-panther-is-more-than-an-action-movie-its-politically-astute/

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1825683/