Chadwick Boseman Explains What People Are Taking Politically From ‘Black Panther’

Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman opened up about the Marvel blockbuster’s political relevance during a visit to The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

Asked what people are taking politically from Black Panther, Boseman answered “a lot of different things.”

He pointed to the Dora Milaje, an elite group of women bodyguards and Wakandan special forces, and a cast of female leads comprised of Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Letitia Wright and Angela Bassett.

“I would say the strength of the women in this movie. Especially at this particular time, while the #MeToo, Times Up movement is happening,” Boseman said. “This adds another layer to that conversation. A very, very good layer to the conversation. So I think people are really, really responding to that part of Wakanda.”

The actor, who plays Wakandan king T’Challa, also named the social aspects of the relationship between the African king and American black-ops soldier Erik ‘Killmonger’ Stevens (Michael B. Jordan), who journeys to the isolationist kingdom in an attempt to violently usurp the throne.

The wayward Killmonger “is basically an African American trying to connect to his roots,” Boseman said, adding “that conversation is one that I think is happening on a platform that you wouldn’t normally see it happen.”

“So you see Africans viewing African Americans in a different way, and African Americans viewing themselves and Africa in a different way and everyone else is privy to that conversation,” Boseman explained.

“And so I think that is a very, very healthy thing for people to become more specific about their identity and encouraging it. In most cases, you see people trying to water down things when you talk about diversity, as opposed to embracing what they actually are. So I think that has been very refreshing and fulfilling.”

Boseman recently opened up to EW about his onscreen enemy, admitting he identified most with Killmonger.

Boseman’s appearance on the talk show saw the actor surprise Black Panther fans who took the opportunity to express how and why the movie is important to them.

Black Panther is now the third highest-grossing Marvel Studios movie domestically, behind only The Avengers and Avengers: Age of Ultron.

Black Panther is now playing. Boseman and co-stars Letitia Wright, Danai Gurira and Winston Duke will return in Avengers: Infinity War, in theaters April 27.