“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”, a film that also highlights Latino talent

Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is coming to an end. The so-called Saga of the Multiverse has had all kinds of adventures along the way, both on our planet and in space, and promises to close in style with "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever." This film will seek to beat its predecessors at the box office with the contribution of Latin talent, will it succeed?

As many remember, Black Panther is a superhero who made his first appearance during the events of "Captain America: Civil War" (2016). After that, in 2018 he returned to the cinema with his individual story, where we were introduced to T'Challa's ascension to the throne of the kingdom of Wakanda and the challenges he had to face to protect his own. The success of the film was so great that a few months later they approved making its sequel.

However, the initial plans for "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" had to be changed in 2020 after the death of actor Chadwick Boseman, who was in charge of playing the main character. And it is that such a situation forced Marvel Studios to make changes to his script, with the only detail that they chose not to touch the role of T'Challa in the timeline.

Precisely, the premise of this new story takes place after the death of T'Challa. The kingdom of Wakanda is weak after that event and therefore is an easy target for invading forces, which intend to take over its technology and land. But as if that were not enough, the presence of an underwater civilization will play a determining role. Who are they and what are their intentions? Are they allies or enemies?

In "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" we will not only see how its protagonists will have to face new threats without their king, but will also introduce unpublished characters that will give people something to talk about. That hidden nation that will emerge for the first time in the UCM belongs to Tlalocan, which is part of Mexica mythology and whose legends come from the Aztec people. Hence, the Latin contribution becomes more relevant in the last film of this Phase 4.

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The largest Latino Representation In The UCM

We still have in mind the outstanding performances of Salma Hayek, in "Eternals", and Óscar Issac, in "Moon Knight", during Phase 4 of the UCM. But in this second installment of Black Panther, we will see an unprecedented event in Marvel productions, as up to a total of seven Latin American figures will be part of the cast, the largest so far. Who are they and what characters will they be playing?

Lupita Nyong'o

The Mexican actress of Kenyan descent will once again be part of the cast of "Black Panther". For this role, Lupita had to learn the Hausa language (one of the most widely spoken Afroasiatic languages) and train in various martial arts. Her character, Nakia, is an undercover spy from Wakanda and T'Challa's ex-partner, who was once banished from the kingdom after causing great embarrassment to her tribe. Her figure in this sequel is a mystery, but the only certainty is that she is one of the most important women in the plot.

Tenoch Huerta

To play Namor, king of the underwater civilization of Tlalocan, Marvel Studios chose the Mexican actor. Tenoch made his film debut in 2006 and has since taken on major roles that have taken him to Hollywood. The appearance of his character in "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" is due to T'Challa's revelations about the truth of Wakanda, which results in a possible danger to his hidden civilization, which he will protect at all costs.

Mabel Chain

In the most important role of her career so far, the Mexican actress will play Namora, Namor's cousin. Like him, his specialties are superhuman strength, the ability to swim at high speeds, breathe underwater, and fly thanks to the wing-like appendages on his ankles. Mabel's career in the cinema began in 2016, but since 2012 she has performed in different television productions such as "Capadocia" and "El Señor de Los Cielos".

Alex livinalli

The Venezuelan actor will also debut in a big way at UCM and will do so with a villain to fear: Attuma. Just looking at the skull of a hammerhead shark that he has for a helmet is enough to give us an idea of how intimidating he will be in the story. This Atlantean nomadic warrior is Namor's enemy in the comics, but his intentions are still unknown in this film. Regarding Livinalli, he emigrated to the United States at the age of 10 and in 2008 he began his acting career. His appearances in popular series such as "The Walking Dead" and "The Vampire Diaries" stand out.

Joshua Maychi

Like Livinalli, this Mexican actor of Mayan descent will also play Attuma, so we imagine it will be through memories during his youth. At the age of 18, he began his training in the performing arts while studying Business Administration. After finishing his studies, Josué took advantage of his first great opportunity by playing the famous emperor Cuauhtémoc in the miniseries "Malinche" (2018), to later become part of the Amazon Prime Video series "Hernán" (2019), and finally, debut in the cinema with "Presences" (2021).

Mary Mercedes Coroy

The young Guatemalan actress also hails from a Mayan community and will be cast in a pivotal role. This is Princess Fen, who is none other than Namor's mother. This means that her presence on the screen will be through flashbacks, and precisely part of the trailer showed us when she gives birth to the future king underwater. María Mercedes' filmography is still short, but with leading roles in "Ixcanul" (2015), "Malinche" (2018), and "La Llorona" (2019).

Mary Curtain

María Telón and María Mercedes Coroy have several things in common: first name, nationality, Mayan origins, profession, movies, and character in "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever." On this occasion, the experienced actress will be the most current version of Fen, Namor's mother, during the events of the film. As a curious fact, his three appearances on the big screen have been by the same director, the Guatemalan Jayro Bustamante, in "Ixcanul" (2015), "Temblores" (2019), and "La Llorona" (2019.