Following my suggestion for how the MCU and Marvel could proceed with the Black Panther following Chadwick Boseman’s sudden and devastating death, Nerd Is The Word contributor EmilyLogan had her own thoughts. Here is her rebuttal-Shayne Kempton, The Nerd Is The Word chief schmuch
Chadwick Boseman’s passing last August has hit hard and deep. It’s strange how much someone you have never met and has nothing to do with you can impact your life. They say heroes are remembered but legends never die; both are true for Chadwick are both are true for the Black Panther.
Chadwick’s portrayal as King T’Challa will be a legacy that will never leave our memories. He, his fellow castmates and the Black Panther film dominated, taking the world by storm and marking its place in history. Black Panther brought such camaraderie and inspiration to the black communities around the world and gave young boys of colour everywhere a chance to look at the big screen and see themselves in their heroes face. With Chadwick gone, and the mantle of the Black Panther no longer in his hands, what happens next? Where do we go from here? Who will don the vibranium claws?
Shuri, Princess of Wakanda, sister to T’Challa is my choice to take on the title of Queen and become the protector of Wakanda as the Black Panther. It’s a storyline that has taken place in the source material with the Marvel comic books and wouldn’t be a storyline the screenwriters would have any problems building a concrete plot around. Even if we put cannon aside, it’s the perfect next step for the series to take, seeing as there is no other option but to move forward with our King gone forever.
One of the first criticisms whenever there is a female superhero is simply that, she’s a woman. But, like every other woman on the planet, she’s more than just her identifiable sex. Shuri is brilliant (she’s outsmarted Bruce Banner and Tony Stark). She is fierce and a fighter (she was out there on the battlefields fighting alongside her brother and the Avengers to save both Wakanda and the world). She is kind and compassionate, fair and thoughtful, brave and honest – all qualities one would hope to see in their ruler and defender. As a character and as a woman, she is capable of taking on both roles, leading her people and fighting for them just the same. A woman is fit to be more than one role in her life. And from what we’ve seen thus far through Letitia Wright’s wonderful portrayal, she is capable of doing this.
I don’t think we need a whole new origin story with Shuri however. I take no issue with the story moving ahead with her already in place. I’m not sure the audience would be impressed having yet another origin story in the MCU. Historically, the origin films (with the notable exception of Black Panther) are the lowest earning at the box office in each of the heroes trilogies. Jumping into her time as the Black Panther allows the audience to see her worth in the role rather than having to be convinced. Shuri’s Black Panther also has the benefit of fighting against and joining up with some great villains and heroes from the comics, including Doctor Doom, Namor, The Fantastic Four and even Deadpool. Chadwick and T’Challa will no doubt have influence on and hopefully inclusion in the story, whether that be through flashbacks, possibly unreleased footage or, depending on the writing, conversation alone may be enough to keep his spirit alive in the new stories going forward.
Unfortunately, though, it’s all too easy to see Shuri without both roles of Queen and defender. If so, I can see her likely being Queen while having a bigger, stronger man take over as Black Panther and they would work side-by-side to defeat the new villain together. While this would not the end of the world, its still just doesn’t feel like quite the right move. Hollywood has slowly… slowly… started to become more aware of their failures in diversity and inclusion (note the changes by the Academy for films to qualify for Best Picture), and so having another (black) man take on the role of the Panther would not be a step backwards. But having a black woman in this role, that would absolutely be a massive step forward.
Shuri and Letitia’s take on the role of Black Panther has the potential to spark a whole new wave of empowerment, pride, inspiration and outcry for social justice for black women and women of colour around the world. The boys had their movement with Chadwick, now the girls have their chance with Letitia. It’s not a competition, it’s not men vs women, it’s men AND women. Just like the boys did, girls should have that opportunity to look up to that big screen, see their hero and say “it’s me!” There are so few women-led hero roles on the big screen for young girls to admire and even less for those who aren’t white. Alongside an MCU film comes all the merch, books and toy releases. How many other dolls, action figures, character illustrations do you see represented that aren’t white? Perhaps a couple more than when I was a young girl but is a couple enough?
The MCU clearly has another opportunity to make a big move in the Black Panther series. Whatever route they take I am hopeful just the same. It’s my hope to see Shuri as our next Black Panther, but it’s also not just up to the writers. Whoever steps into Chadwick’s shoes will have to carry the weight of his loss on their back. There will always be sadness and always be a comparison. Chadwick left such a mark in people’s hearts, it could be too emotional, too painful for some and that’s not a weakness or failure on their part, that’s human. Letitia has voiced her pain and sadness in losing her “brother”, and I can’t imagine what she and all those who knew Chadwick are going through. I never knew, never met the man and I still tear up. I’ve yet to watch any of his new works or rewatch any of his past films. I’m crying now just writing about him. This is the impact of a hero, of a legend.
Perhaps it’s too much for me to hope so strongly for Letitia to take on the Black Panther. Perhaps it’s unfair to put that weight on her shoulders. So I should be clear, I’m in no rush to see the next film released and if a sequel never comes, honestly, I’m okay with that too. I’ve been starting to feel about the Black Panther the same as I feel about the Joker, it should have been left alone after Heath Ledger’s performance (in my opinion, Ledger’s portrayal is the greatest acting performance of all time).
So, what happens next? Who will don the vibranium claws? Where do we go from here? For now, I think all we need to say is Long Live the Black Panther, and Rest in Power, King.
Emily Logan is a long time contributor to The Nerd Is The Word. You can help her best friend Sir Todd Logey Logan here.
Image via yahoo.com
