In a discussion with Ta-Nehisi Coates and Lupita Nyong’o at the Apollo Theater (via The Atlantic) Chadwick Boseman touched on some of the complex social and political issues that Black Panther explores. For the actor, who is not royalty, the power and privilege that T’Challa enjoys as monarch of a powerful, yet isolated nation is symbolic of the advantages that so many do not enjoy. This is in contrast to Killmonger, who has had to struggle and was not born into wealth or power. Despite being technically part of the royal family as T’Challa’s cousin, Killmonger had to struggle and live a life devoid of privilege. By the time he finally fought, killed and survived to make his way back to his homeland, his views on the world and what Wakanda’s role should be in it were informed by his own vastly different experiences. This difference of life experiences is why T’Challa had to go through Killmonger to truly become a hero the audience could root for, in Chadwick Boseman‘s opinion. The actor explained:
Be the first to comment