The portrayal of the Black Panther has differed throughout Marvel cinema history. From the first appearance in “Captain America: Civil War”, to “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”. I will be comparing Stan Lee’s infamous superhero from “Black Panther” to the more recent “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”. The Black Panther was originally played by the late great Chadwick Boseman. In the film “Black Panther” it is revealed that the superhero’s actual name is T’Challa. T’Challa is a black, strong-willed, and fierce king from the fictional country of Wakanda. He embodies the traditional and sacred morals and values of Wakanda which is a nation built upon responsibility and heritage. He wields enhanced senses and strength due to a special heart-shaped herb that is reserved for the hero itself. T’challa is physically fit in appearance and has agility a normal human wouldn’t have. He wears a protective suit made of a fictional material called “Vibranium” that can absorb strong impact like physical blows or gunshots. The weight of his father’s legacy is on his shoulders which compels him to carry on the values and traditions of his previous predecessors and ancestors while also journeying through modern threats full of complexity. The character of T’Challa is one of the first of many kinds as he one of the first black superheroes ever created by Marvel to have his own films and be the leader of his own fictional country as well. Many black superheroes in films and shows are often portrayed to be side characters or sidekicks of a predominantly Caucasian character filled genre. “The inclusion of an all-black cast on the screen could vitiate the pernicious effect of negative stereotypes and two-dimensional depiction of minorities in media that stultify the self-images of young viewers of color” (D’Agostino, 2018). The Marvel franchise has been well known for several years in the past to feature superheroes that were mostly white and of the male gender. The character having its own film was a refreshing sight to see for many of Marvel’s die-hard fans as well as casual fans.
The idea and status quo of superheroes has existed for a very long time for the sole purpose to inspire and provide imagination to the future generation of mankind. When the superhero genre became popularized many years ago, everyone from the directors to the actors, to the writers were predominantly made up of white men. Nowadays this is untrue. “Instead of B-rated superhero films and television adaptations, the plentiful black characters from comics began to leak onto various shows and films as supervillains” (Olok, 2018). This can relate to the Black Panther film immensely. Marvel introduces all their heroes through comics first until they appear on screen in films. The Black Panther was first introduced in the sixties in a comic book written by Stan Lee and produced by Marvel. It was not until 2018 when the Black Panther would get its own film. Instead of being portrayed as a supervillain, the Black Panther was shown to be a superhero of African background and ancestry. This character would lead to the further empowerment to black youth and other children of minority descent. T’Challa needed to be portrayed as a leader who cared about his people more than about himself to inspire and instill a sense of power to those of black descent.
Fast forward to 2022, with Chadwick Boseman no longer being able to play the role of Black Panther due to him passing away, Marvel needed to find someone to play the hero. Marvel went ahead and decided to make T’Challa’s sister Shuri (played by Letitia Wright) to become the next Black Panther in the most recent installment “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”. This would be a major change in depiction to the character as this is the first time a major Marvel superhero is played by a young Black woman. Shuri around this time is now 19-20 years old whilst T’Challa was last seen as 35 years old before Chadwick passed away. Shuri is lean and agile making her a hard target to hit for enemies. She also ingests the heart-shaped herb to gain superpowers such as enhanced strength and senses like her late brother T’Challa. Shuri also has a different mindset compared to her brother when it comes to ruling Wakanda. She is seen as innovative, smart, and cunning as she was previously a scientist and inventor when she was 18 in the first film. The combination of being both a physically strong and intelligent young woman being portrayed as a superhero in a film is not that common. “Wonder Woman, Black Widow, and Captain Marvel have, in some way or another all been treated as a villain, victim, or vixen at multiple points in their comic histories…” (Gablaski, 2020). Shuri stands out from these characters. Not only by skin colour and physical appearance, but the way she carries herself throughout the film and her personality. With the widely diverse audience around the world, hopefully more people of all backgrounds and age can be depicted as superheroes just like Shuri soon.
Bibliography
D’Agostino, Anthony Michael. 2018. “‘Who Are You?’: Representation, Identification, and
self-Definition in Black Panther.” Safundi 20 (1): 1–4. doi:10.1080/17533171.2019.1552346.
Gablaski, Jordan. 2020. “Super or Sexist? The Evolution of Female Superheroes in Comics and Film.” Digital Commons @ Assumption University, n.d. https://digitalcommons.assumption.edu/honorstheses/84/.
Olok, Omara. 2018. “Black Superheroes and Their Importance to Media.” Allnightcinema, https://allnightcinema.wordpress.com/2018/01/29/black-superheroes-and-their-importance-to-media/comment-page-1/.
MJ Ponte
You did a great job showing how important representation is in the Marvel movies. You explain well how T’Challa, originally played by Chadwick Boseman, sets up a strong story about identity and empowerment. It’s clear that Shuri becoming Black Panther is a big change, as she is the first major superhero played by a young Black woman.
You also summarize key points about the history of Black characters in superhero films, noting that they have often been seen as sidekicks or villains. Your use of sources like D’Agostino and Gablaski helps support your points about representation and identity.
However, I think you could make your analysis even stronger by discussing more about how Shuri’s character affects viewers, especially young girls of color. You might also explore how this change in representation impacts the superhero genre as a whole. Overall, your critique is insightful and informative, but adding these points could help readers understand Shuri’s role as a symbol of empowerment in today’s media.
MJ Ponte
Please disregard my first comment (I did it before today’s class [Oct 29th]) and I based my critique questions from the first assignment critique questions, which was different for this assignment. I apologized.
Here’s my critique again:
You did a great job comparing T’Challa and Shuri as Black Panther! I like how you explained T’Challa as a strong, traditional leader who represents Wakandan heritage, and Shuri as a young, innovative leader who brings a fresh perspective to the Black Panther role. You showed how both characters reflect different ideas of empowerment and identity, which really highlights the growth of representation in Marvel movies.
Your main points about the impact of Black Panther on Black representation, the importance of Wakandan values through T’Challa, and Shuri’s role as a young Black woman superhero are clear and well-organized. It’s clear you understand how these characters have been groundbreaking in showing diversity to audiences.
The scholarly sources you used work well, backing up your points about Black superheroes inspiring minority youth and how superhero roles are evolving from mostly white, male heroes. It’s great that you found sources discussing both Black identity and female superhero roles—those add a lot to your argument.
One thing I think you could add is more about Shuri’s role as a scientist. Talking about how her intelligence and tech skills add to her heroism could show how she breaks the typical “superhero” mold even more. The images of T’Challa and Shuri also fit well, helping to show the shift in the character’s identity over time.