The
jaw-dropping new trailer for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever sent Marvel fans into a
frenzy earlier this week, and now Michaela Coel is giving LGBTQ+ fans another
reason to cheer.
Coel, writer,
director, and star of the controversial yet beloved series I May
Destroy You is joining the cinematic universe as Aneka in the upcoming
film, a character who has a romantic relationship with a woman.
This
relationship lives in the Black Panther comics and was rumored to premiere in the 2018 film. Queer fans were
disappointed when it seemed like the moment was scrapped but now, our patience
has paid off!
According to
Coel’s stunning new Vogue feature, “Aneka is a captain and combat
instructor in the Dora Milaje, the fearless all-female crew of warriors who
protect the kingdom of Wakanda. As the story goes, she falls in love with her
warrior colleague Ayo, played by Florence Kasumba, and their forbidden affair
causes disruption in the ranks.”
Coel says
Aneka’s sexuality is what sold her on the role. “I thought: I like that, I want
to show that to Ghana.” The African country has antigay laws that are more than
just conservative, and Coel hopes that the story can combat some of the
homophobia. Right now, the parliament is trying to pass a bill that would
sentence people who identified as gay, and even their allies, to prison for
five years. Coel is well aware of the country’s politics and history: both of
her parents are Ghanaian.
“People say,
‘Oh, it’s fine, it’s just politics.’ But I don’t think it is just politics when
it affects how people get to live their daily lives,” she said. “That’s why it
felt important for me to step in and do that role because I know just by my
being Ghanaian, Ghanaians will come.”
Hopefully,
Aneka’s story and Coel’s portrayal can change some minds. It seems like
director Ryan Coogler thinks so. “Aneka, the character Michaela plays, is kind
of a rebel,” he told Vogue. “It made a lot of meta sense with
Michaela being someone who is pushing the industry forward and carving out her
own space.”
Black Panther:
Wakanda Forever premieres
November 11 in theaters. You can catch glimpses of Aneka in the latest trailer,
which you can watch below.
SOURCE: PRIDE DOT COM
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