Ryan Coogler’s #BlackPanther is already shaping up to be one of Marvel’s most anticipated films. #ChadwickBoseman already had a standout performance playing Black Panther in last years #CaptainAmericaCivilWar. After the death of his father, T’Challa is now the new King of #Wakanda. Not everyone is in agreement with this decision made by T’Chaka, including the residents who reside in Wakanda.
‘Black Panther’ Has Been Inspired By ‘007’ And ‘The Godfather’ Franchises
Executive producer Nate Moore told Entertainment Weekly that Black Panther pays tribute to two Hollywood classics; 007 and The Godfather:
“What I think we landed on was sort of a cross between James Bond and The Godfather. A big, operatic family drama centered on a world of international espionage. So hopefully we’re getting the best of both worlds.”
This makes a great deal of sense as The Godfather deals with a son trying his best to take over a fallen elder and to help restore family members who are competing for power over one another. The other side of Black Panther is the 007 part of it with fun and over-the-top action sequences where our hero isn’t afraid to take drastic measures to get things done.
T’Challa Must Fullfill His Father’s Duties As King of Wakanda
Wakanda is the most advanced civilization in the world, except few people know it actually exists. It’s been held a secret all this time to keep their people and culture intact. Thanks to its numerous deposits of Vibrainium, Wakanda is also the richest and most technologically advanced civilization around.
T’Challa’s father T’Chaka was killed in a bombing incident as the Sokovia Accords were ready to be ratified in the city of Vienna. This was the very first time anyone from Wakanda was reaching out to other nations to make peace. Now, one of the biggest decisions T’Challa will have to make is whether or not to play ball with the other nations and to continue on what his father set out to do.
Bosemen himself weighs in on this political spectrum:
“That hasn’t traditionally been their attitude towards the rest of the world. [T’Chaka] wanted to step out of those boundaries. It’s a like a new leader taking power and trying to figure out if he should do it the older traditional way. You would think the younger man would want to do something different than the father, but the father – for a reason that I don’t want to say – was thinking ahead and beyond those boundaries.”
Director of Black Panther Ryan Coogler also weighed in on the thoughts going through T’Challa’s mind as he wrestles with the loss of his father:
“He sees himself as a politician. That’s the first thing on his mind when he wakes up in the morning. ‘How am I going to fulfill my duties as king of this place? He has to keep harmony between the tribes within his country, and that means managing expectations and doing things that are unpopular. At the same time, he is the protector of that nation.”
T’Challa certainly has his hands full as he not only has to deal with the entire world bearing down on him, but within the confines of his own family lies betrayal and civil unrest.
Killmonger Will Be A Very Different Antagonist Than Other Marvel Villains
Continuing on with the family clashes that’s taking place, Moore also mentions how crucial of a role Michael B. Jordan’s Killmonger will have in the story:
“I think Killmonger has his own opinion on how Wakanda has been run and should run, and what I think Michael brings to the table is sort of a charming antagonist, who doesn’t agree with how T’Challa is running things, frankly. I think that puts T’Challa in a difficult situation. Killmonger is a voice of a different side of Wakanda.”
Moore is absolutely correct in his assessment because this is going to be a serious challenge for the new king especially now that Wakanda has officially been exposed much thanks to Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis). The teaser trailer mentions that Klaue was the only person to have seen the nation and escaped in one piece. He’s now an endangerment to the culture and will do anything necessary to bring it to the ground, even if it means getting some help from within their own family.
Killmonger will be allied with Andy Serkis’s Klaue which is where The Godfather portion of this film comes into play. Killmonger has sided with this ‘outsider’ in Klaue and will do whatever it may take to over throw T’Challa off of the throne.
‘Black Panther’ Looks To Be The Most Unique Marvel Film Yet
Any which way you look at it, Black Panther will be one of the more interesting takes on the superhero movie genre. We’ve already had Ant-Man (a heist film), Captain America: The Winter Soldier (a spy thriller), Guardians of the Galaxy (a space opera), and now Black Panther is a film combination between a family drama and an action flick. I cannot wait to see what this film has to offer. Expect this upcoming San Diego Comic-Con to uncover more news before Black Panther hits theaters on Feb. 16, 2018.
Are you excited for Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther? What do you think of the influences behind the 007 franchise and The Godfather will have on this film? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!
Sources: Entertainment Weekly
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