‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ sequel draws excitement in fans
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — “Wakanda forever.”
The movie sequel “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” is again shaping up to be a cultural phenomenon. Community groups are sponsoring showings throughout the weekend, with fans saying they are excited to see representation of themselves on the big screen.
“Wakanda forever” is a fitting phrase that has lived on since the “Black Panther” hit theaters in 2018, and the excitement of it all is ramping up.
“I think this movie is exceptionally important because we need to talk about where things come from so we can understand a lot better where we’re headed,” Uzuri Asad said.
She’s one of the many people and organizations around Indianapolis to organize community events centered around the movie and what it means for the culture.
“It’s easy to suppress culture when you don’t talk about it, but if you throw it in somebody’s face, you kind of don’t have a choice,” she said.
That rarity of seeing ethnic center stories often creates a space for celebration. This time specifically, it’s also providing space to celebrate Chadwick Boseman who brought the first “Black Panther” to life.
“The way that we connect is through our cultural identities,” said Nigel Long, who is helping with a Rokh sponsored event also scheduled for the Indiana State Museum IMAX theater.
The plot has been closely guarded but imagery from the film showcases African, Native and Aztec elements, expanding the new film’s cultural relevance.
“This is so much more than a movie,” Long said.
Normando Gonzalez saw the first movie and was prepared for the new one. He and several friends have rented theater space for an intimate viewing.
“I know Namor is a classic comic book character. When I heard that they were switching up his origin to be more of the Aztec history it got me really excited,” Gonzalez said.
He says although the character detours from the comics, it doesn’t matter. It’s timely and may play a major part in shifting movies going forward.
“Hopefully, it’s like a big springboard for actors like this to be in even more popular movies,” he said.