London (Reuters) — Cameras flash as the star of the highly anticipated Marvel sequel, Black Panther, walks the red carpet at the premiere of Wakanda Forever in London.
Set in the fictional African land of Wakanda, Black Panther was a global hit and was hailed as a milestone for racial diversity in Hollywood when it was released in 2018.
Released by Disney-owned Marvel, the film was the first superhero film to feature a predominantly black cast.
For the cast members of Wakanda Forever, Marvel’s blockbuster has had a positive impact on their perception of the continent.
“By embracing the diversity that is African culture, other people are also embracing indigenous culture,” said Kenyan actress Lupita Nyong’o, who plays one of the lead characters, “Nakia.” .
“We’re celebrating our culture. We’re celebrating where we come from in a very inclusive way,” she said.
“Black Panther” was the top-grossing film of 2018 in the United States and Canada and the second-highest-grossing film worldwide, with $1.3 billion in ticket sales.
“I probably needed that movie when I was a kid because I don’t have many role models,” Florence Kasumba, who stars in the film, said at the Thursday night premiere.
For Ayodej Ayesimu, a lecturer in media studies at Joseph Ayo Babalola University in Nigeria, the film marked a turning point in black history and challenged some stereotypes about Africa.
“It started a conversation for questions. People were really interested in knowing about the continent,” he said in an interview.
But the African film industry could do more to capitalize on this opportunity, he said, and would like to see more black actors in Hollywood.
Others were less positive.
A member of the Nigerian film industry said ‘Black Panther’ was merely exploiting Africa for Westerners to profit from their idealized version of themselves, rather than supporting the African film industry. Stated.
“But you have to understand that it was Africa that inspired Black Panther,” said American-born Zimbabwean actress Danai Gurira, who plays superhero ‘Okoye’ in both films. .
“My role was to see what Africa is and bring it to the world.”
