Ryan Coogler (‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’): “Not enough talk about the colonization of Africa and America”

On November 11, a Marvel icon returns to the big screen, but it does so without the actor who elevated it. “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” is the sequel to the 2018 hit that takes us back to Wakanda to witness what happens after the death of its king and Black Panther, T’Challa, a storyline that emerged following the real-life death of the actor who played him, Chadwick Boseman, who left us in 2020.

The impact of the first “Black Panther” was enormous, not only at the box office level, but also as a cultural milestone, having been nominated for seven Oscars (including Best Picture) and creating a powerful new screen icon for the community. Black. Its director, Ryan Coogler, returns for the second episode with a story that takes up the thematic thread of the first to deepen the theme of colonialism and cultural appropriationrepresented in the world greed for the precious resources of the African people of Wakanda.

In our interview at the premiere, Coogler explained to us why he believes it is important for a massive platform like Marvel to address issues of this nature, invoking conversation and community as key to the development of today’s cinema. “This is one of the latest studios to be able to publish a film anywhere”says the director. “It feels like it’s in the air you’re breathing, through marketing and expectations. And even now, as we come out of the pandemic, watch movies that are working and successful, like the one that Tom Cruise did” Top Gun: Maverick “. They are community experiences and the film industry needs them right now”.

“For us it was important to be able to explore one of the most important events in the recent history of humanity, about the way we relate to each other and the colonization of Africa and America”Keep it up. “It’s something that isn’t talked about enough and I think it’s healthy to do so. I think this way we can advance a lot as a people if we discuss these things. That’s why it’s exciting to take on something like this in the realm of a blockbuster.”.

“I didn’t know what was happening with the Phases”

After two years of Marvelite proliferation both in theaters and in streaming, Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is coming to an end. “Wakanda Forever” officially closes this first phase of the Multiverse Saga, with “Guardians of the Galaxy” as the epilogue on Disney + shortly after (November 25). However, when we ask Coogler if he took this into account in the approach to the project, the director ignores the question, clarifying that it doesn’t make any decisions about how MCU movies are interconnected.

Plus, Coogler doesn’t even have a clue what’s going on with the Phases, and has found out as he goes along, along with the fans: “We don’t talk about the Phases when we work on the films individually”says Coogler. “It’s something that is left to Kevin Feige and the executives. They talk about interconnectedness and what leads to what. [en Marvel]that let you have autonomy and the pressure falls on them “. And he adds: “With this phase, this multiverse saga, the films have even more capacity to be separate, because so much is happening. And even I don’t know what comes next with the rest of the films. I was at the Comic-Con panel and was amazed along with the audience in the room. I did not know what was going on or the theme of this Phase or the other. I think it’s very exciting, but when we started working on it, […] we only focus on making the best film possible “.

“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” will be released exclusively in theaters on 11 November