Black Panther is an engaging film of the futuristic African country Wakanda, covertly hidden from the rest of the world, that grapples with diplomatic questions of protectionism and secrecy despite its ability to share its highly advanced technological achievements to intervene in the many real and troubling crises facing the modern world we live in. It is a film that is presented in a lighthearted and comfortable way but actually delves into deeper spiritual, ethical, and geopolitical themes which challenge the viewer to rethink the political and social statuses and status quos of our modernity.

The premise of the film, an African nation with secret superpowers, unknown to the world but envied by the few who know, itself generated a certain excitement for politically engaged viewers and many members of the black community. Psychologically, it offers a counter-narrative to the narrative we are inadvertently pummeled with daily, a symbolism of Africa and persons of African descent as under-developed, as the ones in need of help or hand-outs from the rest of the world; rather, the world is in need of Wakanda. Even if just a movie, the power in the imagination to present pride, dignity, and empowerment of a country in Africa planning to lead others and set the stage on their terms rather than on a European-normative mainstream seems inspiring and even exciting, a way to break out of status quo in a lighthearted but nevertheless meaningful way, if only for the two hours of an imaginary film based upon a comic book.

Wakanda is set as a futuristic scientifically-advanced nation in contrast to the everyday modern world we live in rife with problems, highlighted early on as the plot zooms in to a small child growing up in poverty in Oakland, California, presented to us first on an instantly-relatable basketball hoop, as an instantly-relatable young child. Before we know it, the viewer sees as tragedy strikes his life. He loses his father at a young age and grows up with a resentment of those who killed his father, a mission to conquer the world using the resources of Wakanda, and has a name proportional to his hatred, calling himself Killmonger. His hatred of Wakanda stems from his father’s mission to end Wakanda’s isolationism and share its resources with the desperately-needing world, which he of all people relates to during his tragic and turbulent childhood. But his hatred also derives from his eventual knowledge that his father was killed by the former king of Wakanda, King Tchaka, who in a terrible moral and personal dilemma makes the decision in an attempt to save another Wakandan’s life.

Killmonger opposes Wakanda’s geopolitical choice of isolationism and wants it to share its assistance with the world. This resonates with dilemmas of the US and other nations to provide assistance, relief, education, and infrastructure to less developed nations. According to the film, one of the main ways Wakanda would be able to help the broken world around them would be to help share its technology. The image of a African nation as the provider and leader is inspiring and exciting, in contrast to being a land in need, it is the rest of the world in need of the powers of Africa. However, there is an eerie resonance, about what exactly it is Africa has to offer the world, when we see that one of Wakanda’s unique offerings is Vibranium, a unique “natural resounce” found nowhere else in the world. It is this near-magically powerful metal, given in a mythic ancient act to the five tribes of Wakanda, that is what allowed their society to develop so far beyond other nations and create their many social and intellectual advancements: a society, to a large extent, devoid of fighting due to the peace, afforded presumably due to the plenitude; and intellectual and scientific advancements from, presumably, the stability of society to devote time and resources to progression of knowledge. This resource Vibranium, being kept carefully hidden from outsiders, resonates eerily with the historical view of Africa and other less developed nations of the 18th and 19th centuries as places that did offer something to contribute to the world around them: resources*. During this era, less militarily and technologically developed nations around the world were colonized and exploited for natural resources such as “metals” that allowed colonizing powers to develop greater technology, military strength, and economic prowess, to further dominate other nations and outcompete each other.

Killmonger is the villain of the story, and he is determined to gain the Wakandan Vibranium and their military and technology to conquer the world. He states his goal to “liberate” and rescue the world, and presumably his goal is to continue his father’s mission. However, his actions tell a different story. He has an extremely simplistic and in fact odd approach, where he doesn’t question his plan of violence and conflict at any point with even the smallest amount of self-reflection. He never wonders if he could simply talk to the Wakandans about his difference in ideology; gain their favor by impressing them with his abilities; or try and resolve the cause of his father’s death. Instead he incipiently attempts to defeat the current King Tchalla in hand to hand combat and shows no mercy, no interest in knowing his close relative, no interest in knowing the people or culture of Wakanda to see what he thinks of them, before immediately challenging him to the death. This seems implausible to someone whose overarching goal is liberation.

In contrast to the other vibrant, interesting, and dynamic personalities, I find his character very undeveloped and we are offered no insight into his one-sided psychology of hatefulness except perhaps the over simplistic reason that his father was killed. This fails to illuminate any of the complexities we see in real world politics and why certain political actors profess military force as the most correct, or at least, purportedly the most “realistic” way of engaging with and impacting the world.

Killmonger seems like a paper character with no depth behind him. He has scars on his body marking every person he has killed. He seems simplistic like a cartoon. This serves its role given this is a superhero movie, a caricature; yet, does this simplistic model suggest something else? The level of simplicity apparent when Killmonger assumes his “purpose” to gain the throne of Wakanda, to depose the Wakandan king, to lead Wakanda to takeover the world seems implausible. Yet, perhaps this is intended to emphasize the overarching assumptions of viewers of the film, as Americans, as individual citizen global actors, or as political leaders. 

Are there certain narratives we, too, take for granted? Are we limited in the way we see our roles in global geopolitics, or in our own homes? Do we lack imagination to seek alternatives, and simply work for progress within the limitations of the systems pre-existent and easily available to us? Maybe Killmongers oversimplification helps us become self-aware of our own prejudices, and question what psychological factors may have led to our perceived obstacles in the ways we conceive of global and local issues like conflict, hierarchy, power, and poverty. 

Nevertheless, the oversimplified character Killmonger is part of the simplistic narratives of hero and villain portrayed not only in cartoons, but also in Hollywood, and serves to distort and undercomplicate geopolitics and interpersonal interhuman complexities. Conflict is not simple; humans are not one-sided. And political actors are not Killmongers: most of them have complex reasons, if not self-interest and personal gain, which certainly play a role, the complexity of political leaders to approach difficult questions and come to a correct approach is not conveyed in the simplistic Hollywood villain. Our real-world villains are not as easy to point out.

I also feel that it glorifies intelligence and respectability as defined by technology, power, and reverence for all things bright and shiny. Indeed, I find it hard to imagine how a blockbuster movie, perhaps, could avoid doing such a thing: this is part of the bells and whistles, the activity on screen. In addition, the setting is supposed to be science fiction and futuristic, and it is hard for futuristic sci-fi type genre to not inadvertently glorify technology, since a huge part of the narrative is attempting to capture this futuristic sci-fi world. Thus the film will certainly want to wow the viewers with shiny images of faster, bigger, technologies. Nevertheless, does this reify American meritocracy, the imagined availability of goods to all, due to trickle-down, everyone having an “equal chance” to the goods of society, and promises of access that are never fulfilled? The idealization of technology is part of what allows America to deny its problems because it purports to make up for problems with material gains that are so bright and shiny they appear universal and accessible to all. Everyone can feel a “part of” society because everyone in America can have an iPhone no matter who you are, but in the bigger picture we still have failed to offer equal access to the goods of society. This idealization prevents people from questioning their ostracization in society when they are offered the promise of American idealism, and these excuses are what allow narrative to continue for American exceptionalism.

In addition, this film equates technology with progress. The Wakandan technology is what Wakanda wants to offer to share with the world. While it is difficult to not equate technology and material advancement with progress, especially in the context of abject poverty both in the way it was pictured in the US with the film’s characfters in Oakland, as well as the film’s coverage of African poverty, it is a nevertheless a mistake to equate material progress with all progress. This film did glorify technology in such a way, not only in its text but also in its subtext. The overarching theme (the text) of the film could not be changed without changing the entire plot: a glorification of an African country for being the most developed country, not just socially and educationally but also in terms of military and technology. How else could the movie show a military showdown between good and evil without this text? In addition the subtext is in the characters conversations about the reason Wakanda is different from other nations. They explain it is not due to genius or something inherent about the Wakandan people, just due to technology. This glorifies technology: or does it? Or perhaps, does it take a subtle jab at the dominance of certain nations over others in our real world today?

*obviously, and also for labor depending on the nation