Brooke Obie Interviews ‘Black Panther’ Stars Daniel Kaluuya and Winston Duke
From Guideposts.org:
Can you save the world without sacrificing yourself?
In Marvel’s latest superhero film Black Panther, the answer is complicated.
Black Panther features the comics giant’s first Black superhero of the same name. Best known as the king’s son T’Challa (played brilliantly by Chadwick Boseman), Black Panther hails from an African country called Wakanda. In the Marvel universe, Wakandans are the only people on the continent that have never been conquered or colonized. As a result, Wakanda is the wealthiest and most technologically advanced nation in the world.
Wakandans have disguised their country as developing and impoverished, but behind an invisible shield lies a nation rich in the scarce resource of vibranium, a powerful metal that can manipulate energy. Using Vibranium, Wakandans build weapons of protection, medical technology that can heal broken bodies, unheard of transportation devices and more.
Such a potent resource would obviously be of great use to the world. Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o’s commanding character Nakia wants her wealthy home country to use its resources to help the people in other African countries that are struggling. Erik Killmonger (the “villain” played so deftly by Michael B. Jordan it ought to garner him a best supporting actor nod) wants to take vibranium and give it to warriors in the African diaspora to fight back against their oppressors. But after the death of Wakanda’s king T’Chaka, T’Challa is crowned and must decide how best to keep Wakanda safe.
Herein lies the moral question at the heart of Black Panther. Knowing that Africa has been the most ravaged continent on the planet—for its people, its land and its resources—should Wakanda sacrifice its security and well-being for the benefit of the world?
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After the world premier of Black Panther in L.A., Guideposts.org caught up with Black Panther cast members, Oscar-nominated actor Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out) who plays W’Kabi and Winston Duke who plays M’Baku to get their thoughts on whether you can save the world without destroying yourself.
Read the rest on Guideposts.org.
Read all of Brooke’s ‘Black Panther’ pieces here.