The premiere of the film Black Panther (2018) has been a worldwide phenomenon. In fact, it broke the record as the best box office superhero film in history in the United States, surpassing Avengers (2012).
But why is it so successful? Black Panther is not such a well-known superhero as Spider-Man, Iron Man, Captain America, the X-Men or even (outside Marvel's universe and taking DC into account) Superman or Batman. What has been the secret of its great reception among comic and movie fans?
Reasons abound: an interesting plot that leads to reflection, great soundtrack and visual effects, an unrivalled casting, impressive action scenes, strong female characters, and an intimidating, memorable and very well-structured villain (Killmonger, played by Michael B. Jordan).
However, there is one reason that stands out among them all, and that is the one I will develop on today's blog: representation.
The African-American community has received this film with great emotion. Until now, no black superhero had ever made it to the big screen with a relevance comparable to Superman; for example, Spawn (1997) and Blade (1998), played by Michael Jai White and Wesley Snipes respectively, are antiheroes who do not have the same sense of righteousness and justice as T'Challa, nor did they have the same reach as T'Challa with his appearance in the film Captain America: Civil War, where the Marvel Cinematic Universe laid the foundation for the plot of Black Panther .
As the release date approached, videos like this flooded the Internet. That's how these kids from a school in Atlanta reacted when they found out they were going to see the premiere of Black Panther. The founder of the school said that "it is important for students to be represented on the big screen."
What does this mean? That representation is relevant to the perception of ourselves in the world, and this is when a community can be seen (if you will forgive the repetition) represented in media. After decades and decades of seeing white superheroes on the screens with whom they could not identify physically or culturally, African Americans could finally see a protagonist that looks like them.
In this video of Jimmy Fallon's show we can see how people express what this film has meant in their lives, and their excitement at meeting Chadwick Boseman, the actor who plays King T'Challa.
Another video that went viral on Internet was an interview with part of the film's cast. In this one, Chadwick Boseman tells that two children named Ian and Taylor, who recently passed away from cancer, were in constant communication with him as the film was being produced. Their parents told him that the children were resisting the disease until they could watch the movie. Boseman says that, at the time, he thought it was incredible that the film meant so much to them; however, he remembered what it meant to be a child and look forward to a Christmas gift, or a birthday with great excitement, and understood the relevance of those moments you look forward to during your life.
On the other hand, the film goes hand in hand with feminism: the women from Wakanda positively impacted the film's viewers. Characters such as Okoye (Danai Gurira), Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o), Shuri (Letitia Wright) and the Dora Milaje warriors represented strong, independent and intelligent women. Shuri is exemplary for all girls who dream of making their way in the field of science, as this young scientist has a mind that rivals that of Tony Stark. Dora Milaje are loyal and powerful; they also possess a great sense of righteousness and respect for their traditions.
Through hair, clothing, and makeup, the women from Wakanda represented the heritage of African culture, and showed the natural beauty of black women.
A righteous, kind, and strong superhero came from Wakanda to make history, inspire the world and show children that they can accomplish great things by being exactly as they are; and he leaves us a great message: humanity needs to "build bridges, not walls."