After a press screening of the upcoming Black Panther movie in Marvel's Los Angeles office, outlets are reporting that the movie contains "some significant LGBT content."
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Black Panther, due out in February of 2018, stars Chadwick Boseman (reprising his role from Captain America: Civil War) as T'Challa, the fresh-faced ruler of Wakanda who, after his father's tragic death, is fighting to keep his country from being torn apart. Marvel's first POC superhero movie will feature a staggering number of black leads, including Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o, Get Out star Daniel Kaluuya, and Walking Dead badass Danai Gurira.
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Gurira is rumored to be at the center of a same-sex relationship between two of T'Challa's female bodyguards. PinkNews reports:
In a scene laden with implications, Black Panther’s team of female bodyguards dances with each other, including Walking Dead star Danai Gurira.
Gurira, who plays Okoye in the film, stares at fellow warrior Ayo, watching her flirtatiously for a long time as the camera pans in.
Eventually she tells her, appraisingly but appreciatively: “You look good.”
Ayo returns the compliment. Okoye smiles widely and replies: “I know.”
This scene seems to be an allusion to World of Wakanda, a Black Panther spin-off comic created by Ta-Nehisi Coates, Roxane Gay and Yona Harvey, that dives into the lesbian relationship between Ayo and Okoye. “What happens when your nation needs your hearts and minds, but you already gave them to each other?” the description reads.
Is anyone else freaking out? Not just me? Okay, cool.
If Marvel gets this right and doesn't just give us some LGBT crumbs (looking at you Beauty and the Beast and Power Rangers), you should go ahead and prepare yourselves for a groundbreaking piece of cinema. Black Panther is due in theaters February of 2018 and expect the first trailer to drop sometime this summer.
