Black Panther (2018): Superhero Cinema in a Diverse World

Written by Vikram Nijhawan

Marvel’s film about the fictional African nation of Wakanda stands out amongst its peers. While many superheroes stories address the theme of “good vs. evil” in a simplistic manner, Ryan Coogler’s drama goes beyond this binary. He imagines a land untouched by colonialism, slavery, or economic despair, surrounded by countries who unfortunately do bear those historical markers. The film poses the question of whether the hyper-advanced and prosperous Wakanda is obligated to aid those people in need.

Black Panther lacks a villain in the strict genre sense. The antagonist is not a mustache-twirling evil genius, hell-bent on destroying our hero. Instead, Coogler frames the forces of overt and systemic discrimination, which have impacted Africans and their descendants across the world for centuries, as the primary source of conflict. Erik Killmonger, the estranged cousin of King T’Challa who vies for his throne and title, is merely a product of these conditions. The story begins in Oakland, California in 1992, in the midst of the L.A. Riots over the police killing of Rodney King. This is the environment in which Killmonger grew up, and it informs his motivation and ideology throughout the rest of the film. Upon arriving in Wakanda, he espouses the moral argument to T’Challa: that those with power and privilege have a responsibility to help oppressed populations.

The rivalry between T’Challa and Killmonger is essential for each other’s character development. The king of Wakanda grows through his conflict with the challenger to his position. He realizes the mistakes of his predecessors, in isolating their country from the rest of the world for the purpose of self-preservation. By permitting the forces of discrimination through their non-inference, Wakanda allowed a villain like Killmonger to come into being. Likewise, Killmonger spends the majority of the film blinded by his extreme and violent ideology. When T’Challa finally defeats him, and the forces of “good”, order, and stability prevail, the usurper to the throne has an epiphany. He finally witnesses what he longed for his entire life – an untouched and powerful African civilization, in all of its majesty. The tragedy is that, moments away from his own death, Killmonger is unable to enjoy this land, because of the heinous actions he took to get there.

With the resurgent Black Lives Matter movement, and increased conversation surrounding police brutality in America and abroad, Black Panther reminds us of the importance of standing up for vulnerable minority groups. This burden must be borne not only by those suffering at the hands of discriminatory forces, but also those with the means and power to do so. Similarly, the film teaches us that righteous ideas can come from unlikely places, even from our supposed enemies. In our current political climate, this lesson is more important than ever.