Director Ryan Coogler from Marvel Studios 'Black Panther attends the San Diego Comic-Con International 2016 Marvel Panel in Hall H on July 23, 2016 in San Diego, California (Photo : Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney))
"Black Panther," the fictional superhero who appears in American comic books, is being made into a film directed by Ryan Coogler. The comic series was published by Marvel books and the movie is being produced at Marvel Studios.
It is a significant film not only for the Marvel Cinematic Universe but also bringing diversity in superhero films. Following the Marvel Studios Hall H presentations at Comic- Con in San Diego on Saturday, director Ryan Coogler revealed that Creed star Michael B Jordan will play Marvel Comics villain Erik Killmonger in the film.
Discussing on the importance of representation in the genre of superhero films with Entertainment Weekly, Ryan stated that "The superhero field is a field where there is not a lot of representation. So naturally people are yearning to see someone flying around doing incredible things" Stressing on the difficulty involved in the making of the film, Ryan remarked that it keeps him up day and night for the better and for the worse.
The film also stars Chadwick Boseman who plays T' Challa, Lupita Nyong' and Danai Gurira who together play members of King Wakanda's special forces known as Dora Milaje.
The story is set around the villain, Killmonger. Being a native of Wakanda, his father was forced into the service of Ulysses Klaw when he and his mercenaries attacked the African nation. Following Klaw's defeat, T'Challa exiled Killmonger's family, an act that led the son to swear a revenge.
Elaborating on the city of Wakanda, director Ryan remarks "The thing that is really cool about Wakanda is that they worship the Panther Goddess and this is seen to be consistent across all the different stories.". "It is a place where gender roles are very different than how we see them in today's age. The Dora Milaje are the most elite fighters in the country and you can only be a woman in the Dora Milaje," reports the USA Today.
Marvelites best know this fictional African nation as the source of the mineral vibranium. It was what Captain America's shield was made of and it defines the Age of Ultron in the second of the series of the popular movie Avengers. However, Coogler reiterates that Wakanda is not defined by this element alone. He adds that "In our Wakanda, it is not the vibranium that makes it special. It is their culture and who they are that makes them special. It just so happens that they have this mineral that they use".
Black Panther is slated for release on July 6, 2018.
Watch video of Black Panther, Comic Con Panel Hall H Highlights
