3. More Wakanda
The internet’s abuzz over Wakanda and – let’s face it, we need to see more movies about these characters. From tech genius Shuri (Letitia Wright) to the Dora Milaje, they need to spread throughout the Marvel Universe but they also need to be featured prominently in their own films with their own titles.
First up is Shuri, the 16-year-old prodigy genius sister of King T’Challa. Shuri was one (there are more, trust us) of the breakout stars of the film. She needs a picture focusing on her growth, how she becomes a superhero, and then – as she does in the comics, she needs to eventually pick up the mantle of Black Panther and have her own experiences in the spiritual realm and the Djalia where she would meet the panther gods and experience the collective memories of Wakanda. After Leticia Wright’s experience on Black Mirror she’s proven she can deliver incredible emotional pathos. That coupled with the pure joy she embodied in Black Panther makes her an ideal candidate for traversing Coates incredibly powerful arc.
Up next is Nakia. We can’t take credit for this idea. Twitter user Taylor Cordingly discussed a Nakia solo movie (La Femme Nakia? Yes please) which has an awesome premise. Take a look at the original tweet below:
Forget Black Widow. The spy movie we need in the MCU is a #Nakia spin off. Imagine Lupita in a plethora of disguises and kicking ass all over the world? I'm so ready for La Femme Nakia. pic.twitter.com/iP45Z1nJOA
— TAY BOBO (@tayboboqueen) February 18, 2018
The idea of a Nakia movie has extra potential since she becomes the Marvel villainess “Malice”. Given that Nakia and Killmonger had the same goals in Black Panther (although Nakia had a much better way of going about it without destroying the status quo) having Nakia become Malice could provide another opportunity for a redemption story. Lupita Nyong’o has the potential for a compelling arc that could mirror Killmonger’s or take it in new and terrifying directions as well as provide emotional depth and direction for Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa. How could he continue to fight alongside the Avengers if she was their villain? The depth that would deliver for the characters would be incredible. Either way, a focus on Nakia is a must for any Marvel film.
The final and most obvious selection is a film, prequel or otherwise, spotlighting the Dora Milaje, Wakanda’s female warriors. From Danai Gurira’s Okoye to Florence Kasumba’s Ayo, a Dora Milaje film holding up the black women warrior group and giving them a chance to share their stories is a really fascinating idea. People across Twitter have been pitching everything from Okoye’s rise to General, to adapting the World of Wakanda storyline, giving Kasumba a chance to shine as well as providing more to the conversation about LGBTQ representation. Okoye will be in Avengers: Infinity War so we clearly haven’t seen the last of the Dora Milaje.
However Marvel wants to go about adapting Wakanda, an essential thing is to continue looking for black creatives to tell these stories. From Dee Rees to Ava Duvernay, there are plenty of black women out there who might make an incredible contribution to the growing universe. Black Panther isn’t lightning in a bottle. These are stories people have been waiting to tell and people are hungry to hear.