Black Panther (Cultrface)

Black Cultures, ComicsSeptember 7, 2020July 17

We Got This Covered is suggesting—based on intel from a credible source—that Shuri might be the next Black Panther.

There will likely be a delay to Black Panther 2‘s May 2022 release date as Boseman’s friends, peers and collaborators come to terms with his passing at the age of just 43, but we’ve now heard from our sources – the same ones that told us Ben Affleck would be returning as Batman in The Flash and that a She-Hulk show is coming to Disney Plus, both of which were correct – that Marvel still want to proceed with the second installment as a tribute to the leading man’s legacy, and the film will see Shuri become Wakanda’s permanent protector and assume the mantle. At least, that’s the plan right now.

This makes sense and it’s not the first time We Got This Covered has claimed Shuri will take T’Challa’s place. The clearest reason for this idea is based on the comics, where Shuri became Black Panther for the first time in the Dark Reign series from 2008.

That volume opened with Doctor Doom brutally attacking T’Challa after he refused to join Norman Osborn’s cabal. Barely alive, the king returned to Wakanda before his wife, Queen Ororo, took over leadership duties and immediately nominated Shuri to become the next Black Panther.

We’re all still grieving the loss of Chadwick Boseman and I’m not trying to think about Black Panther 2 or 3 (even though I’m writing about it) but this would be the best transition if it happened.

Black Cultures, ComicsSeptember 5, 2020June 17

Black Panther / DC Comics / Marvel / Superheroes

A few weeks ago, I sent the following tweet:

Important question: when you think of Black superheroes, who comes to mind? Name as many as you can and DON'T Google them. Obscure and well known, all comic brands. Go (and RT please)!
— Luke Davis (He/Him) (@LukeDavisSEO) August 16, 2020

I left it open-ended as not to restrict the potential answers. The purpose of the tweet was to see which Black superheroes people knew without looking them up. Here are the results:

Superhero	Count
Black Panther	17
Storm	16
Luke Cage	11
Spider-Man	10
Static Shock	9
Falcon	8
Green Lantern	7
Nick Fury	6
War Machine	6
Bishop	6
Spawn	6
Cyborg	5
Mister Terrific	4
Black Lightning	4
Blade	4
Ironheart	3
Shuri	3
Misty Knight	3
Icon	3
Bloodwynd	2
Steel	2
Batwing	2
Catwoman	2
Monica Rambeau	2
Bumblebee	2
Martian Manhunter	2
Lightning	2
Thunder	2
Deadshot	2
Human Torch	2
Vixen	2
John Diggle	2
Okoye	2
Starfire	2
Black Vulcan	1
Jakeem Thunder	1
Rocket	1
The Herald	1
Forge	1
Superman (Val-Zod)	1
Apocalypse	1
Pixie	1
Rage	1
The Signal	1
Batman	1
Goliath	1
Amenadiel	1
Blue Marvel	1
Bat-son	1
M’Baku	1
Michonne	1
Hardware	1
Deathblow	1
Battalion	1
Killer Croc	1
Sister Night	1
Blood Syndicate*	1
Max (from Batman Beyond)	1
Bronze Tiger	1
Lunella Lafayette	1
Frozone	1
Domino	1
Butterfly	1
Valkyrie	1
Hancock	1
Victor Stone	1
Hawkgirl	1
Firestorm	1
Darwin	1
Amanda Waller	1
Dr Mid-Nite	1
Dr Manhattan	1
VooDoo	1
Cloak	1
W’Kabi	1
Heimdall	1
A-Train	1

I will be updating this periodically if any new responses come in but, unsurprisingly, Black Panther came out on top (although he was neck-and-neck with Storm for most of the time).

For any of the pedants out there, some of these aren’t technically superheroes but I didn’t try to correct anyone because 1) my Black comic book knowledge is poor and 2) I wanted to see what people’s interpretation of Black superheroism was. Do you need to have superhuman powers to be a superhero? That’s a question for another day.

Black Cultures, FilmAugust 29, 2020June 17

Black Cinema / Black Panther

I feel almost bereft of words and I’m in no position to write any kind of obituary for Chadwick Boseman. But I do have something to say and something to share.

2018 was a pretty crappy year in a long line of crappy years (and it’s still ongoing). But when I went to see Black Panther in February 2018, it changed my life. Black superheroes don’t get the kind of recognition and environment to flourish and be like White superheroes, at least not in cinema (seeing as not everyone reads comics). So when I saw not just a Black superhero but a Black environment in all its majesty and glory, I wept. I needed that. And Chadwick Boseman, along with the rest of the cast, gave me that joy and empowerment. For that, I am ever grateful.

For the second part of this post, I wanted to share something shared by Josh Gad on Twitter:

It reads:

CATCH THE RAIN
If you are in Los Angeles, you woke up this morning to the rare and peaceful sound of a steady precipitation. If you’re like me, maybe you looked at the week’s forecast and found that it’s supposed to ran for three straight days; not without breaks of sunlight and reprieves of moist gloom, but yeah it’s gonna be coming down like cats and dogs. Great. We’re stuck inside these damn quarantines beacuse of the Covid, and now we can’t even get no sun in Cali. Come on now!
But now that the rain has stopped and today’s storm has cleared, I urge you to go outside and take a DEEP breath. Notice how fresh the air is right now, after our skies have had a 3 week break from the usual relentless barage of fumes from bumper to bumper LA commuters, and now today’s rain has given the City of Angels a long overdo and much-needed shower. Inhale and exhale this moment, and thank God for the unique beauties and wonders of this day. We should take advantage of every moment we can to enjoy the simplicity of God’s creation, whether it be clear skies and sun or clouded with gloom. And hey, if the air is this clear right now, and it does rain tomorrow, I might even put jars and bins out and catch the rain. Throw that in the water filter and I have a water more alkaline than any bottle brand out there.

I hope he’s catching the rain right now.