Coronavirus: Octavia Spencer Suggests Replacing Handshakes with Black Panther's “Wakanda Forever” Salute

It's currently a tense time in the world as the threat of the coronavirus continues to make [...]

It's currently a tense time in the world as the threat of the coronavirus continues to make headlines. It was revealed yesterday that production for Marvel's The Falcon and The Winter Soldier has been shut down over COVID-19 concerns and many major events have also been canceled, including Emerald City Comic-Con. Unsurprisingly, there have also been countless jokes and memes taking over the Internet with folks like Stephen King poking fun at the panic by using one of his classic characters. Another big name to take to social media this week was Octavia Spencer, who can currently be heard on the big screen in Onward. The actor has an incredibly brilliant idea for avoiding handshakes during this major health scare: switch to the "Wakanda forever" salute from Black Panther!

"My new handshake for the next few months," Spencer wrote on Instagram. Many people commented on the post, clearly loving the idea. "Okkkkk," @ashuntasheriff wrote. "Yess!!! Kumbaya," @debrobertsabc added. "Missed opportunity for Makanda," @allenbergmedia joked. (In case you missed it, Spencer is currently holding a contest for the best Ma memes.) You can check out Spencer's Black Panther post below:

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My new handshake for the next few months!

A post shared by Octavia Spencer (@octaviaspencer) on

The spread of the COVID-19 has caused wide-scale disruption across the entertainment industry. WWE is monitoring the spread of the virus in Tampa Bay, Florida, the site of WrestleMania 36. Warner Bros. canceled the premiere of Superman: Red Son. Netflix is struggling to film Dwayne Johnson's new movie, Red Notice. Disney delayed the Chinese premiere of its live-action Mulan movie indefinitely. The Game Developers Conference canceled its 2020 event after a series of company pullouts. London Book Fair was canceled. This year's SXSW was also canceled. The release of the upcoming James Bond film No Time to Die was pushed back into November. Other films, including Marvel's Black Widow, seem poised to arrive in theaters unabated by the thread of the virus's spread.

As for the famous salute from Black Panther, you can currently catch your favorite Wakandans saying "Wakanda forever" on Disney+. Black Panther 2 is expected to hit theaters in 2021 and is rumored to begin filming in Australia.

What do you think of replacing handshakes with the Wakanda salute? Tell us in the comments!

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