‘Black Panther’ cast says we need more Black heroes after Chadwick Boseman’s death

“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" will be released Friday, four years after the first film. Ryan Coogler and the film's cast say Black superhero representation still has far to go.

“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” which will be released nationwide Friday, is already on track to become a critical success. It offers a poignant and powerful tribute to the film’s original Black Panther, Chadwick Boseman, who died in August 2020 from colon cancer.

Yet, as fans gear up for the second installment of this Black superhero odyssey that celebrates African identity, some of the film’s stars say there’s still a startling lack of Black representation in superhero films four years after “Black Panther” showed that these types of heroes were needed.

“One thing I knew for certain was that there was no excuse for that lack,” said Danai Gurira, 44, who plays Dora Milaje general Okoye in the film. “And that had to be rectified. And that’s still my purpose. Like it hasn’t shifted. I still feel that way. I still feel there’s a long way to go.” 

Studies have shown that it’s important for children to see superheroes that look like them. In a November 2021 survey by Morning Consult, which looked at Marvel and other superhero franchises and their effort to improve on-screen representation, data showed that “there’s still demand for greater diversity among leading characters in superhero films — especially from Gen Z.” The report found 44% of Gen Z adults, a key demographic of potential growth for Marvel, “think superhero movies should have more leading Black characters.”

To that point, the film’s actors acknowledge there’s a new void following Boseman’s death — one they hope to collectively fill by taking on his mantle and changing the narrow landscape.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/black-panther-cast-black-representation-superheroes-rcna56378

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