Black Panther Director Talks Comic Book Influence
Marvel Studios brought out an all-star line-up for its San Diego Comic Con presentation this year, [...]
Marvel Studios brought out an all-star line-up for its San Diego Comic Con presentation this year, and many fans already agree The Black Panther stole the show on Saturday. The packed Hall H audience went wild when stars Chadwick Boseman, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, and Michael B. Jordan went on stage to rep Marvel's first film comprised of some seriously talented black actors. Joining them was The Black Panther's director/writer Ryan Coogler who got fans hyped to see the Wakandan King reign over his own solo film in 2018. And, even better, Coogler took a moment during SDCC to speak about how The Black Panther's current comic run has influenced his work.
"Oh, I love it, man," Coogler told Vulture's Abraham Riesman. The director is just one of thousands who're proud to call themselves fans of the hero's run. Marvel's latest iteration of The Black Panther is written by Ta-Nehisi Coates, one of the this generation's most gifted writers. Coates almost broke the comic fandom when he confirmed he'd joined on to write the newest Black Panther series as fans' excitement went through the roof. Given Coates' gift for intelligent and thoughtful storytelling, readers had huge expectations for The Black Panther - and the writer worked hard to meet them with each word he wrote.
Speaking of Ta-Nehisis's work, Coogler said, "I mean, he's my favorite writer right now in the world. Since being turned on to his work, I'm reading everything that he does. His nonfiction work, especially. But what he's doing with Panther is just incredible. You can really see his background as a poet in some of the dialogue. And what Brian Stelfreeze is doing with the visuals in that book. And some of the questions that it's asking. It's just inspiring for [co-screenwriter] Joe Robert Cole and myself."
When Coogler was asked whether Ta-Nehisis's run has changed how he looks at the character, he answered with an easy yes. "Absolutely, absolutely," Coogler answered. "What's so great about Panther is he's a superhero who, if you grab him and ask him if he's a superhero, he'll tell you, 'No.' He sees himself as a politician, as a leader in his country. It just so happens that the country is a warrior-based nation where the leaders have to be warriors, as well, so sometimes he has to go fight. I think starting at that is really so interesting. If you look at that, anything that's happening in the world right now, or in the world in the past, in the political realm and how people deal with each other, it can be an inspiration."
The Black Panther is scheduled to slink into theaters on July 6th 2018.
