Between San Diego Comic-Con 2022 and D23 Expo 2022 alone, Marvel Studios has revealed a lot in the past year about what’s in store when it comes to upcoming MCU Disney+ programming. Fans got major updates on Iron heart, Secret Invasionand more, and we learned about new series in development like Daredevil: Born Again. Amidst all this news, however, is a project we haven’t heard much about, the untitled show set in Wakanda.
The series was first announced as in the works back in February 2021, with writer/director Ryan Coogler on board as a producer (part of a five-year deal his company, Proximity, has with Disney). Given that the news was announced before Black Panther: Wakanda Forever went into production, it’s certainly understandable that we haven’t heard much about the project, since attention and resources were surely directed to the blockbuster. Now that the movie is done and out, though, it’s definitely a series that Marvel should see as a priority. This is not only because there is clearly a hunger for stories that take place in the world of Black Panther (as evidenced by the box office results), but because a show will mitigate what stands out as an underwhelming aspect of the film: a lack of Wakandan -exploration.
Back in 2018, Ryan Coogler was first given the opportunity to introduce a whole new corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe secretly in Africa, and he succeeded in blowing the minds of the audience with wonders like Warrior Falls, the Wakandan throne room and Jabari Land high up in the mountains . Cooller and the crew on Black panther created a remarkable, immersive world with a rich, independent culture and history, and it only left audiences wanting to see more of it.
Despite the created and existing desire, expanding the scope of Wakanda was clearly not a priority. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. It certainly can’t be said that the 2022 film doesn’t have any new settings within the titular country’s borders, but most of the focus is on areas that we’re already familiar with – including all of those mentioned in the previous paragraph. On the one hand, you can’t really fault the blockbuster for characters existing in what has been established as their space (Ramonda on the throne, Shuri in the lab, etc.), but it has the effect of making the world feel smaller.
When the film moves out of those areas, it’s usually to move out of Wakanda entirely—a side effect of the sequel notably introducing yet another brand new corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe: the underwater nation of Talocan. Just like they did with the fresh setting off Black pantherRyan Coogler and the film’s crew do a brilliant job of making the fantastical realm ruled by King Kukulkan (aka Namor) feel lived-in and tangible, and the film is better for it… but the sacrifice is not using the narrative real estate to delve deeper into Wakanda.
And this is all without mentioning the visits to Boston, Haiti, the Yucatan Peninsula and more.
As we look into the future, it also feels perfectly reasonable to expect that we will see at least a somewhat similar direction taken with the inevitable Black Panther 3. After all, being able to explore the complexities of international politics is a fascinating and unique aspect of the titular character’s position in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and those kinds of external conflicts will naturally take the focus away from Wakanda. Fortunately, fans won’t feel like they’re missing out if a Disney+ series exists that’s entirely set within the country’s borders and develops plots that take the main characters (whoever they may be) to places we have. not seen on the big screen.
The creative potential is remarkable. Thanks to Black panther movies, we’ve seen how Wakanda’s Vibranium resources are used for vehicles, weapons, communications, and more, but it’s easy to imagine that everyday life in the country is a lot because of their advanced technologies, and while it’s a material that’s challenging to portray in a blockbuster, it is perfect for an ongoing series. Marvel clearly understands the fantastic possibilities here, given that the series is already in development, but Black Panther: Wakanda Forever further illustrates why it’s a fantastic idea, and hopefully will become a priority that we’ll start to hear a lot more about in the coming months.
