On February 16, 2018 get ready for something that you have never seen before... T'Challa the king of Wakanda's solo debut movie. The anticipation for Marvel's Royal Badass is at an all time high, but the moving parts behind the scenes has me excited. See in the Spring of last year, The Black Panther's leading actor Chadwick Boseman said openly that Hollywood doesn't make 200 million dollar movies starring, and about black folks, and at the time that statement was very true. But I have to believe that Chadwick knew that him and Kevin Feige would be part of the team to change that.
Let me stop for a second and give props to Kevin Feige who made this whole thing possible. I mean us Black Panther fans have been crying out for a BP movie for years. Not only did he get it to us but he had enough foresight to put it in the hands of a very talented young and black director named Ryan Coogler. Feige found it important from a culture standpoint, because at this point there has been no major lead black superhero movie with a black director ( and don't come at me with Meteor Man and Blank Man I am talking about a major Blockbuster right here!). Let's not kid ourselves, we all know the norm has been white super hero's with white directors. This notion of the director having to be black ruffled a few feathers in and outside of the Hollywood circle with actors like Anthony Mackie A.K.A. Falcon, and countless movie fans saying they didn't see what difference it made as long as the director was good. After seeing the Russo Brothers who got the first crack at the BP in Captain America: The Civil War movie I beg to differ.
Let me start by saying that the Russo Brothers are terrific directors and they did a good job with the BP, but there were key things that they missed out on with the BP that I assure you that Ryan Coogler will not. Here are a few things that I wish I could have seen in the Civil War.
First the death of King T'Chaka wasn't big enough, that should have been a BIG deal! It would have been more than just T'Challa chasing around after Bucky...it would have been some BIG shit!! Wakanda's government has an army with weapons, high tech weapons at that! As for T'Challa himself, they didn't play on anything that makes him special. I didn't see his immense power. He's one of the most powerful men on the planet and so is his father for that matter. It was no mention of his unrivaled wealth, I mean even at the end when they showed Bucky getting put to sleep in Wakanda it looked no different than a John's Hopkins M.R.I room. So much for the actual look of Wakanda being the most advanced place in the world. All we saw was a jungle and a giant Panther statue. What the hell was that? Now for my biggest complaint yet...the BP's lack of weaponry! All he had were some claws? So he was just going to claw everyone to death? REALLY? You talk about toning and scaling down a character my God, the Russo Brothers gave us the BP at it's basic, and he still stole the show. I did like the suit though but where was the African Symbolism, the Dashikis, and other African garments? You know some things that may be unimportant and silly to others but important to the African Culture! Black Panther writer Joe Robert Cole just made mention of this topic in an interview last week that his and Ryan Cooglers take of the BP will be very much engulfed in the real rich culture of African tradition and history. Ryan Coogler who came out and said the BP needs a black director even before he got the job. Kevin Feige did him one better by giving him black writers, black choreographers, black stunt men, black trainers, and some of the most talented black actors that Hollywood could assemble with a cast that he admitted will be at least 90% black. That's unheard of and has never been done before in the history of a film of this scale! The old myth was people would never go to see a film like this starring black people, and to that thought I say this... if you liked the Russo Brothers Black Panther then finally seeing him in all of his splendor Chadwick Boseman and Ryan Coogler 's version is going to make your head explode! You ain't seen shit yet!! Until you've seen T'Challa running things with his all female bodyguards the Dora Milaje lead by Lupita Nyong'o and Danai Gurira. One word...DOPE!!
The BP movie will pick up where the Civil War left off. We find T'Challa ready to rule not only Wakanda but the Marvel Movie Universe. Here is a mere thought with Chadwick Boseman using one of his five movie deals on the Civil War I think we won't see him in both Infiniti War movies only one, leaving room for a Ryan Coolger Black Panther Trilogy, let's not forget they can offer him an extension. Once the world get's a taste of this different superhero experience there will be no turning back! The kind of style, grace and swagger that this team of talented brothers will put down will shock the world to prove the point that if given the opportunity we can do anything. I'm sure the whole cast will be looking forward to the chance of making history but also making a great movie that people of all ages, colors, and walks of life can enjoy! Me being a die hard BP fan let me say this for the record...I think this will be the greatest superhero ever made!! If it was up to me it would be like the 80's Shaka Zulu TV movie, with electric streets made of gold, flying cars, and ray guns. I know DOPE right? Please leave a comment. God Bless!
-GAB