As the first female-led superhero movie of the MCU, Captain Marvel marks a significant step forward for representation in the superhero saga. But as hyped as fans are for Carol Danvers’ solo debut, the film would be lucky to match the cultural impact of last year’s Black Panther, which continues to earn praise from fans, critics and celebrities as an important moment for diversity in superhero cinema.
Among the many who were moved by the picture and the way it resonated with filmgoers was Guardians of the Galaxy star Djimon Hounsou, who reprises his role as Korath the Pursuer in Captain Marvel. And when Screen Rant visited the set of the Brie Larson led-flick, the Beninese actor was all praise for Ryan Coogler’s latest effort.
“Well the thrill for me this time around is not even so much about this film, other than the fact that it’s great to be part of this one, but I think the one that really leverage all films for me, it’s Black Panther. In a way that I’ve never heard in my own country, championing our kids, going to movies. Parents are even putting money on the side for them to just get that one ticket to go and see a movie like that. It was historical. I mean, it gives me chills.”
Though Black Panther was a box office smash around the world, ending 2018 as the year’s second-highest grossing release, Hounsou goes on to stress that it’s unusual for a movie to draw this kind of attention in his home country.
“You guys don’t know here, how it is over there. We rarely ever- don’t have many theaters in the country, to begin with, and the couple of theaters that we have… You have Universal, Vivendi, you name it, the French company, that’s going around certain countries in Africa and opening theaters, a chain of theaters.”
Hounsou’s words stand as yet another testament to the cultural significance of Black Panther, and based on recent statements from producer Kevin Feige, Marvel Studios has no intention of making the film a one-off when it comes to onscreen representation. A couple of weeks ago, for instance, the studio head went on record arguing that the movie’s commercial success gives them all the more reason to further diversify the MCU, and you can see these words put into effect with upcoming projects like the Shang-Chi pic.
As for Black Panther’s future, a sequel is confirmed to be on the way, with Coogler at the helm once more. But first, Hounsou is set to make his return to the MCU when Captain Marvel hits theaters on March 8th, 2019.
Published: Jan 9, 2019 10:31 am