Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Black Panther Wakanda Forever

  • ‘Wakanda Forever’ Director Teases More M’Baku in ‘Black Panther’ Sequel

    ‘Wakanda Forever’ Director Teases More M’Baku in ‘Black Panther’ Sequel

    Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is more of an ensemble film than the first was, especially with the tragic loss of Chadwick Boseman. As the film centers on paying tribute to the man’s legacy in many ways, the film takes a different approach and will see the impact on the various characters that we’ve met in the first Black Panther film, while also introducing the world to Talokan, the MCU’s interpretation of Atlantis.

    Still, a lot of the promotional material only teased what we can expect from the story and how the various characters work through their own grief. In the official press conference for Wakanda Forever, director Ryan Coogler highlighted that Winston Duke‘s iconic M’Baku will likely have twice as much screentime as he did in the first film.

    You know, and I will say that, you know, Winston’s not here, but M’Baku was in this movie more than he was in the first Black Panther. I think probably, like, a two-to-one ratio. You know, he probably has twice as many scenes as he had in the first one. And so he’s there, you know.

    Ryan Coogler

    M’Baku was a standout in the first film and even made a return in the Avengers film with Duke reprising the role. While he wasn’t close to T’Challa, he did have an important arc with him in the first film, which did open up the possibility to further explore his arc in this film. We saw in the crossover films that they’ve developed a close bond, especially showcasing how far they’ve grown since the power struggle for the throne in the first Black Panther film. So, it’ll be interesting to explore that dynamic that we may have not gotten a chance to see on the silver screen.

  • ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ Pulls in $45M in Advance Ticket Sales

    ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ Pulls in $45M in Advance Ticket Sales

    All eyes are on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever‘s release later this week, as it’s the final entry of Marvel Studios’ ambitious Phase 4 and rounds out the year for the studio. The studio has faced a bit of a sophomore slump but still remains a constant when it comes to its box office success. Many have wondered if Wakanda Forever would buckle under the weight of the previous entries and the loss of its main star Chadwick Boseman, but it’s currently performing very well.

    According to The Hollywood Reporter, the latest Black Panther film has already pulled in $45M in advance sales just in the United States with quite a few days still to go. It’ll release worldwide on Wednesday with no releases in China or Russia planned currently. At the moment the film is likely to make at least $175M with some hoping to be closer to $200M depending on word-of-mouth from the film. Even Disney CEO Bob Chapek highlighted the pre-sales in the latest earning call.

    Ryan Coogler has delivered another culture-defining film … evidenced by advance ticket sales.

    Bob Chapek

    The film has sold more than Thor: Love and Thunder but is behind Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, which was perceived as an event film and was quite frontloaded. It may reach $60M+ by Friday which would put it past the first Black Panther which ended up earning $202M in its opening back in 2018. It went on to pull in $1.34M and it’ll be interesting to see how Wakanda Forever manages to perform in comparison once it releases in a few days.

    Source: Hollywood Reporter

  • Tenoch Huerta on the Challenge of Tackling Namor as an Antagonist in ‘Wakanda Forever’

    Tenoch Huerta on the Challenge of Tackling Namor as an Antagonist in ‘Wakanda Forever’

    Black Panther Wakanda Forever is just around the corner, as it not only continues where the previous left off but also opens up the Marvel Cinematic Universe to a new corner, the introduction of Talocan. Tenoch Huerta is set to take on the role of Namor, who is a major player in the comics but is taking on a more antagonist role in the sequel.

    With the prospect of the character being more than just your run-of-the-mill Marvel villain, the actor and director Ryan Coogler had a tough challenge to find the perfect balance on how to explore the character’s story. Huerta opened up on the challenge in the official press conference for the upcoming Marvel Studios release.

    It is tricky, when you have a character like this, because you are the antagonist. You gonna destroy something that is not just in the story, but the people, you know? The people outside. A lot of people feel identification with Wakanda, and I’m include myself in Wakanda, and the narrative and representation and everything. So, now I have to play the bad guy who destroy [laughs], or try to destroy that legacy. And but at the same time, I think Ryan, the script, and, you know, he found a way to make it human, to justify why that people do that kind of thing.

    Tenoch Huerta

    The character taking on Wakanda and the challenge of still keeping a chance of people rooting for the character even after he attacks Wakanda, a place they’ve become familiar with and connected throughout the years. He highlights the beauty of the story by exploring grief from different perspectives, as the story explores “two characters, taking different directions with the grief and the threat” that faces them. In turn, it makes the core of the story quite human.

  • Namor Actor Couldn’t Swim Before Working on ‘Black Panther 2’

    Namor Actor Couldn’t Swim Before Working on ‘Black Panther 2’

    Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will introduce the world to Marvel Cinematic Universe’s take on Atlantis in the form of Talocan. The Mayan-inspired take on the iconic underwater civilization is a promising direction for the mythology built around the character of Namor, who will be portrayed by Tenoch Huerta. Given that they are a civilization that exists beneath the ocean’s surface, the actors portraying the Talocan people had to do some shots underwater.

    During the official press conference for the film, the Namor actor revealed that he actually couldn’t swim before working on the film. The conversation came up when they started discussing who had the record of holding their breath the longest during filming, which led to the actor revealing he couldn’t swim before starting work on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. A surprising detail if you consider that he was going to tackle a role that would mostly see him underwater.

    Yeah, well I didn’t know how to swim before this movie. But now I can hold my breath for five minutes.

    Tenoch Huerta

    He does reveal that the record of holding their breath underwater is held by Namora actress Mabel Cadena, who seemingly can hold it for up to eight minutes. It definitely sounds like they had an interesting challenge with the production and it’s always interesting to learn details, such as the fact that the actor learned to swim and stay underwater for extended periods just to star in this role. It showcases how much work truly goes into bringing these roles to life for the silver screen.

  • Ryan Coogler Reserved the Use of Namor Since the First ‘Black Panther’

    Ryan Coogler Reserved the Use of Namor Since the First ‘Black Panther’

    Namor is about to make his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and it seems that director Ryan Coogler has pretty much reserved the use of this character since the first entry. In an interview with Slash Film, Marvel Studios producer Nate Moore reveals that Coogler asked for the rights to use the character if he got to make a sequel.

    Ryan is a huge fan of comic books, and in publishing, Namor and Atlantis often would come in conflict with Wakanda and the Black Panther. And so even as early as in post-production on the first movie, he was like, ‘If we get so lucky, could we maybe, could I just raise my hand and make sure no one uses Namor?’ And luckily, nobody was, and he had a great idea for it very early on. So we started building towards that idea, which I think is really fun.

    Nate Moore

    It definitely was hinted in the past that he’s had the character on his mind since the first film. At one point they even tried to include a tease of his arrival in a post-credit sequence that was eventually scrapped. Marvel Studios has been interested in adapting the character for almost 18 years according to Kevin Feige but never found the right idea to bring him to the silvers screen. Luckily, it seems that Coogler‘s patience paid off and no one else had the right pitch before him.

    Source: Slash Film

  • Ryan Coogler Talks Potential Return for ‘Black Panther 3’

    Ryan Coogler Talks Potential Return for ‘Black Panther 3’

    We are still around two weeks away from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever‘s release in theaters but many already have set their eyes on a potential third entry. There’s been no official announcement if they’d continue the franchise, but that wasn’t the focus while promoting the second entry, especially with its emotional anchor surrounding the fate of T’Challa reflecting that of the actor that made him an icon.

    Yet, while the promotion remains on Wakanda Forever, some still can’t help but wonder if Ryan Coogler was interested in returning for a third entry and it seems that this is definitely not on the director’s mind at the moment in an interview with ComicBook.com.

    I got no answers for you. Yeah, no, I try to finish what I’m doing, and then think about what’s next.

    Ryan Coogler

    It makes sense given just how much work was put into releasing the second franchise entry. Still, it does seem likely we’ll see a third entry eventually, especially with how important the Black Panther franchise has become in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Phase 6 line-up is still uncertain and there’s a possibility that they further explore this corner of the world before entering the multiverse fully.

    There’s also the question of who will truly lead the project moving forward. Wakanda Forever is seemingly more of an ensemble piece with many hints about who is taking on the role of Black Panther in the trailers. Yet, it’s not a certain element nowadays as there hasn’t been an official “passing of the torch” announced and we’ll see if the weight of the cowl will remain.

    Source: YouTube via The Direct

  • Ryan Coogler Reacts to ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ Rumors

    Ryan Coogler Reacts to ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ Rumors

    To say that the list of potential directors for Avengers: Secret Wars is long, is an understatement. Many have thrown their hopeful choice into the ring, especially when it came to bringing one of Marvel’s most iconic storylines to life. The top choice has seemingly been Black Panther director Ryan Coogler, who has a way of combining blockbuster action with a more grounded touch.

    While promoting Wakanda Forever, ComicBook.com got a chance to sit down with the director and ask him the question on everyone’s mind: is he already attached to directing Avengers: Secret Wars? As it turns out, he was more surprised by the question than anyone might’ve expected, and mostly just wants to wrap up his work on the Black Panther sequel.

    Bro, I ain’t heard nothing about that man, I’m trying to finish this one.

    Ryan Coogler

    One can’t blame the director for just wanting to wrap up his work on Wakanda Forever. The production has been an emotional rollercoaster for everyone involved, especially since Chadwick Boseman passed away. He’s also in the middle of promoting the film that isn’t set to hit theaters for another few weeks.

    Avengers: The Kang Dynasty already has Daniel Destin Cretton set as its director, which had many stoked and highlighted just how much trust Marvel Studios had in the director. Early on, many theorized the Russo Brothers might return to tackle the franchise once more given their experience, but it’s great to see Marvel take a new direction with their latest entries. So, we’ll have to see who takes on the role.

    Source: YouTube via The Direct

  • ‘Wakanda Forever’ Producer Debunks Doctor Doom Rumors

    ‘Wakanda Forever’ Producer Debunks Doctor Doom Rumors

    Modern discussions surrounding any Marvel Studios project focus primarily on who might potentially appear from the larger mythos. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever mostly focused on highlighting that this story is an emotional rollercoaster paying tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman. Yet, that doesn’t stop the Internet from new rumors springing up left and right on a potential high-tier appearance.

    In the case of Wakanda Forever, quite early before we even saw the first bit of footage from the film, there was a rumor that Doctor Doom may appear. The iconic Fantastic Four villain has been a popular choice to appear in the Marvel Cinematic ever since Disney acquired 20th Century Fox, but they have shown quite a restraint so far.

    With the imminent release, theories started making the rounds even more and it seems in an interview with Phase Zero from ComicBook.com, producer Nate Moore shot down the rumors of his appearance. He doesn’t go into any details, especially with how specific some of the rumors have become over time, but points out that once Namor was locked in, they kept the focus on him.

    It wasn’t, to be quite honest, although I get why. He’s such a great character and the world of Latveria is so fantastic and Ryan is a fan. But once we decided Namor was the antagonist, that was always going to be the focus.

    Nate Moore

    He highlights that Ryan Coogler is quite a fan of Doom and the concept of Latveria. So, perhaps he’ll get a chance to explore the character at a later point, especially with his talent of lending a closer perspective on the cultural relevance of these characters, which a place like Latveria would definitely offer. In a way, Doom could become the antithesis to what it means to lead a country and the dangers of falling down a very specific route to reflect that of Wakanda’s future leader.

    Source: YouTube via The Direct

  • ‘Wakanda Forever’ Executive Producer Teases the New Meaning of Namor’s Name

    ‘Wakanda Forever’ Executive Producer Teases the New Meaning of Namor’s Name

    One of Marvel’s first characters, Namor, is going through quite a bit of a change in his introduction to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Tenoch Huerta will take on the iconic role that is now strongly inspired by Mayan culture. The first teasers for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever teased his new design and went on to reveal that his own people of Talocan describe him as a God. Yet, we never heard him referred to as Namor.

    As it turns out, the team behind Wakanda Forever may have found a clever way to establish his name, as revealed by executive producer Victoria Alonso. It seems that the meaning of Namor’s name is short for “El niño sin amor” which means “the boy who grew up without love.”

    It definitely is a clever way to find way to still use his name of “Namor” and tie it once again to the new origin. In some way, it also seems like the title of the name may tie into his story of the Black Panther sequel. He likely is a child of two worlds, especially with a massive tease of a burning home in the first trailer, and that he lost his family before becoming the leader of an underwater kingdom.

    Marvel continues to showcase how they can cleverly reinterpret these characters that have existed for countless years. It not only adds new layers to these characters but also offers some unique takes that make them stand out. The Mayan-inspiration also makes one of the most interesting additions that could open up many more new takes on classic Namor storylines for the future. So, we’ll see what the future has in store for Huerta‘s take on the character.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ Star Teases How They Shot Underwater

    ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ Star Teases How They Shot Underwater

    Expectations are high on what Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will deliver. The first reactions from the film’s premiere are definitely quite positive; especially with the film’s emotional arc but they also tease the excitement for the newcomer, Namor the Submariner. Tenoch Huerta takes on the role of a leader of a long-sunken Mayan civilization.

    With the film taking place under water, there’s no surprise that a big part of it will also feature its stars floating about but it was unclear if they’d actually film underwater or mostly rely on CG. According to actor Alex Livinalli, who plays Attuma in the film, they filmed quite a bit underwater and it seems like they had a lot o fun with the challenge.

    We had the training underwater. Don’t get me wrong, it was hard, it was a lot of hard work but it was so exciting. Everything that we shot underwater was on one breath; meaning that everyone–the whole crew, the actors–were at the surface, then everyone took a breath, we went down and shot for as long as [until] the first person came up, then we all came up. In what other project would you get to do something like that?

    Alex Livinalli

    It definitely sounds like it was a challenge to film as much as you could with everyone holding their breath for as long as possible. There is a fun irony in the mention of “what other project would you get to do something” like Wakanda Forever with Avatar: The Way of the Water on the horizon, but it’s great to see the technology being used to full effect this year.

    Source: Deadline