Ryan Coogler's Black Panther was a refreshing and empowering experience for audiences seeking black representation, and not only broke the racial mold of usual mainstream blockbusters, but the gender one as well with the film having a surprising level of prominent female involvement.
From Angela Basset's regal Queen Mother and Letitia Wright's loveable Shuri to the striking and formidable Dora Milaje, women had more than their fair share to do in the recent Marvel film. This was not an element that went unnoticed by audiences and critics alike and was a point of discussion while the director was at a 2-hour event in Cannes.
Film critic and Harvard University lecturer Elvis Mitchell who moderated the discussion asked Coogler whether the women of Black Panther were just as important as the men.
"I think you could argue they are more important,” the director responded, before revealing a part of the film that he surprisingly favors. “There’s a whole section of the film where T’Challa is out of the movie and you’re just following the women, that’s one of my favorite parts of the movie when I watched it, and I didn’t expect that.”
The Creed director went on to say how those sections subverted even his own expectations. “That part of the movie you feel like you’re watching something fresh and new, that part of it was exciting. We have these actresses who could easily carry their own movie,” he said, making special note of Lupita Nyong’o's Nakia and Danai Gurira's Okoye. “Some of them have before. We were so fortunate. I would watch a movie with them!”
It was then that the director was asked whether he would consider helming a spin-off with Black Panther's female roster of characters. “Oh man, that would be amazing if the opportunity came up. They did it in the comic-book version.”
Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige revealed that there are already plans for a potential Black Panther 2 but with the MCU's slate being kept under wraps until after the release of next year's currently untitled Avengers 4, who's to know if a possible female spin-off is already on the way?
What do you think? Would you like to see the women of Wakanda get their own film? What do you want to see in a Black Panther 2? Leave your thoughts below.