A Virtual Global Press Conference was held on October 28th with some of the cast and filmmakers of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever .

The press conference was moderated by the Awards Editor at Rotten Tomatoes, Jacqueline Coley. She was joined by Lupita Nyong’o (Nakia), Letitia Wright (Shuri), Tenoch Huerta Mejía (Namor), Danai Gurira (Okoye), Mabel Cadena (Namora), Alex Livinalli (Attuma), Ryan Coogler (Director), Nate Moore (Producer), and Kevin Feige (Producer). Each spoke to the collaborative efforts needed to complete this film and the overall team dynamic. 

The highly anticipated release of this film follows the success of the first Black Panthe r and the unfortunate death of Chadwick Boseman in August 2020. They talked about the shock following the news of his death and the urge to want to finish the movie strong and honor his role authentically. Marvel studios decided to continue with the sequel after an appropriate amount of time passed and decided against recasting the T’Challa role. Feige, the President of Marvel Studios, and one of the producers discussed the natural shift to highlight more of the supporting characters. The Black Panther sequel pays tribute to Boseman and continues to tell the moving story of Wakanda, as well as the variety of cultures. 

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was officially released in theaters on November 11th. 

  Jacqueline Coley:  Hello, everyone and welcome.  My name is Jacqueline Coley.  I’m the Awards Editor at Rotten Tomatoes.  It is my honor to welcome the cast and filmmakers for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.  Joining us today, we have director Ryan Coogler.  We have Letitia  Wright, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Tenoch Huerta.  Producer and president of Marvel Studios, Kevin Feige, Mabel Cadena, Alex Livinalli, and also producer, Nate Moore.  Hello, everyone. 

Jacqueline Coley:  Okay.  I did the hard part.  Now we can have fun. 

Jacqueline Coley:  [laughs] And it’s hard to say that, honestly, because this film, right from the very first moment, takes us to a place that I think we’ve all been thinking about.  But it was still just, I think, shocking to see.  But I wanna start with you, Ryan, because yesterday, I’ve already learned, as much as I would love to talk about the journey that you went on and the screenplay and then bringing this vision.  I know all you want to do is talk about your amazing collaborators, because you are the most generous director ever.  So, I’m actually gonna start with that question, which is, what was some of the favorite aspects of collaboration that you got to do on this?

Jacqueline Coley:  Because I know, from everything from production design and craftsmen to as simple as giving the folks at Talokan their own version of Wakanda Forever.  This was a collaborative project that you sort of went about.  So, tell us about some of these fun collaborations y’all had on set. 

Ryan Coogler:  It was great.  [clears throat] And I think that’s one of the great things, when you get to do a series of films, is that you get to have these mini reunions, you know?  And it was such a amazing time that we had, making the first one. 

Ryan Coogler: And it was, you know, four years had passed.  And it was just great to see everybody again and to catch up and to see how everybody had grown.  See, you know, what kind of new things folks had went through.  We were also coming off of a pandemic.  You know, we actually started the film, like, right smack in the middle of it.  And, you know, I think everybody experienced a sense of loneliness, you know, during the years that followed, you know, that crisis.  And  it was just great to see some of these folks and give ’em a big giant hug again, you know what I mean? 

Ryan Coogler:  And what we were all processing, you know, it’s things that people go through, this feeling of grief and loss.  But it’s also great when you don’t have to do it alone, you know?  So, we were able to build that sense of community and we were able to welcome new members, you know, with the actors that portrayed Namor and Talokaneel [phonetic].  So, it was awesome.  It was awesome.  I really feel grateful. 

Jacqueline Coley:  Yeah, I’ve learned now after doing a couple conversations with Ryan, it’s kind of impossible to get him to brag on himself.  So, I’m gonna use the producers to do that a bit, if we don’t mind, because — 

Ryan Coogler: Please don’t.  

Jacqueline Coley: I’m gonna try.  I’m gonna try.  Because, look, sir, I will go ahead and say this.  I was lucky enough to be there at the Oscars luncheon when Black Panther was nominated for an Oscar.  There’s already been incredible heights that this franchise has done.  But Kevin, I know, after Chadwick’s passing, one of the things y’all had to deal with, on top of the grief, on top of mourning him, was the task of bringing this next installment.  Which, I know for everyone, including Chadwick’s family and Ryan and everyone involved, was what you wanted to do. 

Jacqueline Coley: How did that process start, and how did it shift as you guys were going about the task?

Kevin Feige: Well, I mean, Ryan and Nate really will be best to answer that.  In my memory of it, it was, the shock turned into, well, you know, what do we do?  What should we do?  Should we do anything?  And I think relatively soon, it was determined that this amazing ensemble of characters and this world that had been created onscreen needed to continue.

Kevin Feige: And Ryan pours everything and all of himself into everything he does, and had been working for almost a year, Ryan, right, on a version of the movie with T’Challa in it.  And was finding and pouring his life experience from making the first movie into that.  And then when we lost Chad, all of that, obviously, was then poured into this movie, as well.  And keeping the idea of a celebration of Wakanda and the character at the forefront, in addition to the grief that, of course, is gonna come with that. 

Jacqueline Coley:  And Nate, I definitely wanted to talk to you.  ‘Cause, for folks that don’t know, my very first set visit was actually to Black Panther, to motherland.  They didn’t let me talk to you, Ryan.  You were too busy makin’ a movie.  He was like, “I ain’t got time for these press folks today.”  But I did get to talk to Nate.  And in that meeting, you definitely talked about the world we were about to get in.  You were so excited about it.  And I just think of that joy.  And at that time, you were thinking of, like, the joy of Shuri.  And you were so excited that folks were gonna get to meet her.  I have to think going into the process of this one, it has to feel very much on the opposite end of the spectrum.

Jacqueline Coley: Because there was a lot of melancholy, in the sense that this is a different movie that you wanted to make.  But talk about how, as a producer, you sort of shepherd that through with Ryan.  And how you guys found that voice of what you guys ended up with.  Because after seeing the film, it is everything.  It had so many tasks to complete, and it completed all of them. 

Nate Moore: Yeah.  I mean, I think, as storytellers, you just wanna be as honest as possible with what the characters would experience in the film after they experience the loss of T’Challa.  And that is not just grief, to your point.

Nate Moore: It’s also sometimes joy, sometimes humor.  It is all of the emotions anyone feels with any profound loss.  But we had such a collection of talent and such a collection of characters, who all have a different point of view with that loss, that I think Ryan found ways to express all the different colors of grief through the ensemble.  And that’s not just the Wakandans, by the way, who definitely feel it, but it’s the loss that Namor and the Talokan feel because of the loss of their homeland.

Nate Moore: So, I think Ryan was savvy enough as a filmmaker and storyteller to weave all those themes across the entirety of the film.  Which is, I think, why hopefully the film will be powerful for people. 

Jacqueline Coley: Yeah.  It’s not all, I don’t wanna make anyone feel like it’s all doom and gloom.  Because there is so much levity.  There is so much joy.  And I do have to say, some incredible action in this film.  Like, legitimately very incredible.  But I do have to just give one quick moment and say, Tenoch, sir, you brought a lot of scares to this one, can I just say?

Jacqueline Coley:  Like, folks are gonna be really interested, I think, to see the sort of fire and the brimstone that you bring this.  And I just have to say, man, what was it like, knowing you were trying to come in and bring fire to Wakanda in a role?  That is a hard thing to want to do in this big of a film.  And I hate to say it, but he did, y’all.  He really did.  So, tell us about that, comin’ in and bein’ the big bad, as it were. 

Tenoch Huerta:  Well, yeah.  First, it’s an honor to be here.  And, but yeah.  It is tricky, when you have a character like this, because you are the antagonist.

Tenoch Huerta: You gonna destroy something that is [viable?], not just in the story, but the people, you know?  The people outside.  A lot of people feel identification with Wakanda, and I’m include myself in Wakanda, and the narrative and representation and everything.  So, now I have to play the bad guy who destroy [laughs], or try to destroy that legacy.  And but at the same time, I think Ryan, the script, and, you know, he found a way to make it human, to justify why that people do that kind of thing.

Tenoch Huerta:  So, it doesn’t mean that is okay or not, you know, that it’s right or not.  But it explains, you know?  It’s, yeah.  Maybe it’s not an excuse, but it’s a reason, it’s an explanation why the things happens, you know?  Why the people choose different reactions in front of the grief or [menace?], or whatever, you know, the threats of the life.  And that’s beautiful because it’s human.  So, we have these two characters, taking different decisions with the grief and the threat.

Tenoch Huerta: And at the same time, they share the same [wound?], you know, historically.  I mean, like, representation of their cultures.  But at the same time, as individuals, they share that [wound?].  And how they solve the problem is about their, you know, their, yeah, personality and their own history.  So, that’s beautiful.  That balance in a movie.  You know, superhero movies, like, you have this balance and these layers.  It’s fantastic.  It doesn’t happen too much and it’s enjoyable.  

Jacqueline Coley:  I was just listening to him talk and I’m like, all right.  I get, I know why Ryan cast him.  Because, like, he says this stuff and then you forget.  But he’s, like, murdering so many people.  He’s like [laughs] this dude is, like, vicious.

All:  [laughs] Jacqueline Coley:  And I’m, like, seduced by it.  And I think that’s the thing, people are gonna be surprised.  He’s a Mr. Steal Your Girl, as well.  Maybe that’s me.  Maybe that’s me.  I’m just sayin’.  I think, Letitia, you might be able to speak to this.  ‘Cause there’s a lot of emotions at play, obviously, of a movie that centers so much on grief.  But I will say, there’s a lot of similarities that I think Shuri’s exploring here. 

Jacqueline Coley:  And I think anger and grief is the one that she is really looking at the folks of Talokan and seeing a lot of it in herself.  And I know for you as an actor, again, comparing it to the first film, where you were just this ray of joy, to what you have to do in this one, where you are living so much in grief.  But more importantly, what folks are gonna be surprised about seeing how much anger Shuri has in this one.  Talk about sort of, in comparing the two versions of the character you had to play through these two films.

Letitia Wright:  Yeah.  It was, firstly, through connecting with Ryan, you know, that heart-to-heart conversation of how do we take a step forward?  Gentle step forward, ’cause it’s so raw, when we spoke.  And it was just Ryan talking me through how the different characters, how the world was going to expand a bit. 

Letitia Wright:  But also, how we were gonna grow.  We all take so much different turns.  And Shuri does, too.  We meet her in the first film and she is that ray of sunshine.  She’s so clothed and protected in royalty and love.  And proud of her big brother taking the step, following on his father’s legacy.  And she just wants to create.  And I love Shuri in the first one because there was no limit to her, as well. 

Letitia Wright:  It was like she [laughs] was the person her brother went to for his protection, his armor.  And he encouraged that.  Her family encouraged her to be a genius and to be faithfully and wonderfully made.  So, we follow on from that.  What does that look like, when your heart is broken?  And I think it was just Ryan’s guidance on how do we create a full arc of this human being?

Letitia Wright:  Of this young woman going to through something alongside her fellow family members, in general, and Wakandans.  And I think the way it was written and the delicacy, the gentleness of how we approached it.  We always spoke, we always communicated, at every step of the way.  And we were able to bring something that felt real, that felt truthful.  And I was able to really give my heart to it and give Shuri a full arc.

Letitia Wright: And hopefully people can really resonate with that and find some healing, you know, alongside us, with it. 

Jacqueline Coley: Yeah, and the thing I, like, delicately, don’t wanna go too deep in it, because I realize you all knew Chad so well.  And it’s difficult, obviously, as just someone that covered him, I don’t wanna impugn too much in it.  But I will say, if you guys used any of that to the product, the product that we got to see the other night is incredible.  And so, I wanna thank everyone here for that.  So.  Really appreciate it. 

Jacqueline Coley:  Ms. Lupita Nyong’o, I will say when we spoke yesterday, you clued me in on something that I think is hilarious, which is the family environment of all of you.  Because we did our SAG conversation yesterday, and when you were talking about where Nakia is in this, you just slyly looked over at Ryan, and you were like, I was not happy [laugh] when I saw this information.  And I think that speaks to the relationship you have with each other, and that you have such an open dialogue.  Because it is true, Nakia in this one, is probably in the best amount of balance with her grief, dealing with it and also admitting that she’s not quite healed with it.  And that’s not an easy thing to portray as an actor.  

Jacqueline Coley:  It’s easier to be overwrought or to be joyful.  So, yeah, what was it like approaching that, seeing, you know, the other scenes that are playing out alongside Nakia’s, I would say, serenity?  

Lupita Nyong’o:  Yeah.  Yeah, I remember, like, in the beginning, reading the script, and I was so envious of Letitia because she gets to be chaotic.  [laugh] And that’s how I felt, I felt raw and, you know, wanted to express it.  And Nakia, though, she is an example of someone who — she’s just a little further along in terms of her processing.  

Lupita Nyong’o: And it’s not like she has it all figured out, but in the first film, Ryan described her as T’Challa’s oasis.  And that really, really resonated with me.  And so when I was reading this script and thinking about where she is, I realized that what she was once to T’Challa, she now has the opportunity to offer Shuri.  And it made a lot of sense in terms of the structure and architecture of the story.  

Lupita Nyong’o: When we’re talking about exploration of grief, it’s really grounding to have someone who is, I want to say, befriending of the change for the people in the story, but also for an audience.  And the fact that she was T’Challa’s love, in a way I guess it allows an audience to know that it’s okay, you know.  It’s okay.  

Lupita Nyong’o: And as much as I was frustrated with Ryan [laugh] for doing that with Nakia, actually playing her was very therapeutic for me.  You know, because it had me — I had to look beyond my frustrations with losing Chadwick, and learn from her.  Yeah, learn from that wisdom that she seems to possess.  Yeah, and for that I’m really grateful to you, Ryan.  

Jacqueline Coley: Look at that, full circle moment.  [laugh] Well no, I mean, look, it is an incredible endeavor that you all embark upon any time you make a Marvel movie, let alone one with these stakes.  And I will say the interesting thing about this film, for as much as we’ve seen, and you all haven’t told us much, thank you Mr. Kevin Feige, sir.  There’s so many surprises in this movie that folks are not ready for.  Every single character is going to show you things you have not seen from them before, and you will be shocked with some of them.  And I think Okoye, and where she is in this one, is one of the, I think, biggest shockers that folks are about to see because we see a color on this incredibly multifaceted character we’ve not seen before, and that is a bit of defeat.  

Jacqueline Coley: And I just, again, in my just brief, few interviews with Ms. Danai Gurira, this is just not a look I think you like, [laugh] like, to portray as either an actor or a person, and it was an interesting look to see though, that vulnerability in your character.  And it was really, really incredibly moving to watch.  

Danai Gurira: Thank you.  Yeah, [laugh] well, you know, there are two sides of me.  You know, there’s the side that’s like, you know, gets it, and the side that’s like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, really?  

Danai Gurira: Do we have to?  And so yeah, definitely that came out when I first heard it.  And then the other side took over and understood that this was actually great.  And I’m very thankful for the idea that these characters get to explore so many facets of their humanness.  You know, and I think that that is something that is crucial, honestly, with a platform this unprecedented, is that we see all these, you know, a kaleidoscope of their humanness and the world gets to see that.  

Danai Gurira: Because it isn’t very common, you know, we don’t get to see them do that much.  So yeah, it was, you know, I think in direct contrast with what Lupita was going through.  I felt quite displaced, you know, in the process.  And I think that was connected to what my character was experiencing.  And, you know, and that was connected also to a little experience of, you know, the loss of our brother.  You know, and the process that was connected to that, and it’s going through the story, so the key thing I think for me, anchoring me was the goal of honoring him, and the way he loved excellency.  

Danai Gurira: He loved to see us shine and loved to see us do our thing.  And we’d go to him and say what do you think about this?  And what do you think about this about my character?  And he would always give us so much encouragement about doing great things.  And he had such great taste.  So, you know, I think that was really an anchoring aspect throughout the process for me.  Because, you know, I can’t share anything, so I’m just like, walking around this thing like, [laugh] walk around the lake, you know.  

Jacqueline Coley: You all can’t tell nobody, either.  That is so bad.  

Danai Gurira: It’s so hard.  But, yeah, I will say one of the key things was a displacement that I felt from her, and I felt with myself.  And you know, so I had to anchor myself through comrades around me to walk through it.  

Jacqueline Coley: Well, just from the outside looking in, you can definitely tell that, like I said, it was so funny yesterday.  Like, when they get together it’s like everyone around just kind of disappeared and everybody, oh, you just got in.  And everyone’s checking everyone’s outfit.  That is not how, before, these press conferences go with every single person, every single crew.  Everybody here, you guys have such a great time.  

Jacqueline Coley: And even for the folks that just joined, I saw the — Mabel, girl.  [laugh] I mean, she came with it.  But I will say, the same aspect, Ryan didn’t let it easy for the new folks either.  He put you all through it the same way he put the veterans, and he didn’t give the veterans any time to slack off.  Because in addition to the physical, the acting, the costuming, you guys were painted blue, he also made you all go underwater and learn, like, four languages.  So yeah, I’m glad you’re still smiling but [laugh] you want to talk about what this man put you through?  And you’re still smiling about it.  Like, you had fun.  

Mabel Cadena:  I had fun, yeah.  We have faced a little challenge for made this new world.  Because we needed training a lot, physical, mental, because I think I needed to be, in my mind, very strong.  And I need to learn English, Maya, because it’s amazing.  We have indigenous language for the first time in a movie like this.  It’s, to me, I feel proud about this challenge.  What’s really hard learn about the Maya language.  

Mabel Cadena: It’s crazy, you know, and my coach say to me all the time, hey, Mabel, I want my people could be represented with dignity, this language.  So you need to say it [makes noise].  It’s like, okay, okay, okay, okay.  Let me try again.  So yeah, we had faced a lot of challenge, but I’m very happy because yesterday, well two days ago, when I watched the movie for the first time, as a Mexican woman and Latin American woman, it’s like oh my god this is amazing.  

Mabel Cadena: This movie has a lot of diversity, a lot of colors, a lot of language, and I’m very proud to be part of something like this, because it’s not just a superhero movie, you know.  And I think the first Black Panther movie and all these characters here, the legacy about that is, for me, have the opportunity for be part of this world.  And maybe, before I never thought I could be a superhero.  

Mabel Cadena: And now, thanks Black Panther, thanks Ryan, thanks Kevin, Nate, and Lupita, Letitia, Danai, Chadwick, I have this new opportunity for believe in me in the world, in the fiction, in my world, I have new expectation about my career and I’m very happy for being here.  Thank you.  

Jacqueline Coley:  Thank you.  We’re going to go ahead and take it to the audience’s questions next, but we will make sure we get everyone a question.  But I’m going to go ahead and start here, and I want to remind everyone, when you’re sending in your questions, please make sure to add your name and your outlet so we can call it out when we go.  

  Jacqueline Coley:  Rachel Leishman from The Mary Sue has a question for Letitia.  Shuri has become one of the smartest, if not the smartest, people in the MCU since her introduction, and now she’s joined by another genius in her friendship with Riri.  What was that dynamic like on set between you two, and what excited you about Shuri and Riri’s relationship?  

Letitia Wright: It was so much fun.  Really excited for Dominique and her performance you guys are about to see.  She is incredible.  Riri is so much fun and I just love the fact that we get a beautiful opportunity to see another black, young girl just be a genius and just be at school just doing her thing and inspire so many.  

Letitia Wright: So that was a cool connection.  So many cool scenes between myself, Dominique and Okoye.  Some of my most favorite scenes.  [laugh] I couldn’t cope on set like, you know what it was, you have to be like yo, yo, yo, pause, pause pause.  Like, because we’re just busting up in the corner laughing because like, we’re just bouncing off of each other, so much fun.  So excited for you guys to see.  

Jacqueline Coley: Definitely.  This one is the question that I knew that we would get, so I didn’t need to ask it.  Mr. Ryan Coogler, sir, we have to know.  How did you convince Rihanna to go back into the studio to make her solo album?  That is from Kasheera Setti [phonetic] from Pink Villa India.  

Jacqueline Coley:  Yeah, how did you get Rihanna?  

Ryan Coogler: [clears throat] Yeah, that’s a great question.  

Ryan Coogler:  I can’t take sole credit for that.  I think that we have an incredible composer, Ludwig Goransson, who’s also a music producer, who’s got a great reputation.  You know, made This is America with Childish Gambino [indiscernible] so I think Ludwig was a major factor.  Big thanks to Jay Brown at Roc Nation and Jay-Z, who’s a friend, who helped make the connection.  

Ryan Coogler:  Look, Rihanna has given us a whole career, a whole catalog of music, and now she’s given us, you know, make-up and clothing, you know, and I think the world would understand if she hung up her mic, you know.  And I completely understand, because I love her music so much, I feel like she’s given us all that you could ask for.  But the truth is, you know, we were looking for a great artist who could tell the story of the film, and embrace the themes of the film, and present them to the audience in a different packaging.  You know, that’s what Kendrick did for us so beautifully with the first film.  

Ryan Coogler: And this film is different.  You know, it made sense that it would be a woman, it made sense that it could be someone who could speak to, not necessarily the words, but the feeling of motherhood, because that’s a major theme in this film.  And I think it timed up, that she was in that kinda space in her life.  [clears throat] And she was open and it was really the trailer I think that, when she saw the performances that everybody was putting down in the trailer, that was what kinda put her over the edge and she said, hey, I wanna see this film, I wanna see if I can figure this out.  We collaborated with this incredible singer Tems.  And you know, she and I wrote the words, Ludwig made the music.  The music was recorded on, like, three continents.

Jacqueline Coley: Yeah, but you had a writing credit on a few of these, huh?

Ryan Coogler:  Just that one.  You know —

Ryan Coogler:  — but truthfully, the music was recorded on, like, three different continents.  Some of it was recorded, you know, recorded from the first Black Panther when Ludwig was in Senegal.  So like, it came together in a lotta different ways.  And I’m super happy with it and feel super thankful.  But the truth is, you know, once she played us the record, you know, she said straight up, I did this for Chad.  You know, and you know, so it was him, man.  You know, sitting here thinking about it, it’s hitting me right now.  

Ryan Coogler: You know, these four actors that are next to me, I watched you guys’ work since way before I knew y’all.  You know, like, I remember seeing y’all work and saying, man, I’d love to work with them someday.  Tenoch in Sin Nombre, that’s the first time I saw you, Danai, Mother of George.  Lupita, we came up together with 12 Years and Fruitville. At the same time, I saw you in My Brother the Devil, 2012.  And Chad brought us all together, brought us together, you know what I mean?  He just keeps on giving, you know?  

Ryan Coogler: So I’m just really thankful that Rihanna was the latest gift to join the family and can’t wait for folks to, you know the song is out, but I can’t wait for folks to see how it’s used in the film.

Jacqueline Coley:  And sir, I am a very professional journalist and this is two days in a row you’ve almost made me cry.  So I just wanna say, you have a very important gift.  Man, I’m sorry.  That was just really powerful, thank you for saying that and sharing that.  Gonna take it to Nagier Chambers from the Big Gold Belt Media.  This question is for two people, but I’ma start with you Alex, sir, because I wanna definitely reference Warrior.

Jacqueline Coley: That fight scene on the bridge, it was epic.  Can you two speak about working to bring that to life?  Yeah.

Alex Livinalli:  I think that was probably the longest scene that we shot in the movie.

Alex Livinalli:  [laugh] It took, what, like four months?

Nate Moore: Yeah, we went back to it a couple times, too.

Alex Livinalli:  Yeah.  [laugh] But we trained for months, you know, me and Danai.  We were in and out just rehearsing and rehearsing and rehearsing.  And for me, it was such a beautiful moment to see from when we started and seeing the progress of how our dance came together.

Alex Livinalli: And not only that, but just getting to know her as a person, it help create a bond when we shot the fight scene.  And I’m just very grateful that it was with her.  And you know, I wouldn’t wanna mess with her.  I mean, but you know.  

Jacqueline Coley: I mean, man, the first time I saw you wield a sword, we’re not gonna say where, but it was like I saw moves.  And the very first time I saw you on screen, you were literally kicking butt saving the day.  But you took it to another level on that bridge.  Just talk about it for you, as someone that’s done this much stunt work, how much this one was a bigger ask.

Danai Gurira: You know, it was a bigger ask.  And I’m trying to understand why.  It was a lot of work and thank God it was Alex, you know?  ‘Cause you know, he’s a big guy and he’s so nice.  You know, [laugh] he’s so nice.  I know he’s not gonna really hurt me, you know.  But yeah, it was a lot of work and, you know, it was, you know, the beauty of it is, you know, you’re seeing how, you know, we had to find the psychology in it and you’re working together.  So there’s a lotta storytelling that has to go into the story being told.  And I’m one of those people that’s like, from day one I’m like, show me my fight, show me my fight so I can learn it now.

Danai Gurira:  You know, and they’re like, you know, Ryan’s gotta approve it.  So then I’m like, okay, I’m all, Ryan, go look at it.  So like, you know, it’s this whole, like, I’m like, come on, guys.  And watching him work with the fight, you know, the astounding fight team and the way they came up with it was really watching a craft in a whole other way.  And then I’m like, okay, so I gotta do that?  You know, then it’s that process.  And that was months’ worth of work.  But the wonderful thing is working with Alex and the other Talokaneel was just, it was an amazing collaborative process.  And yeah, you know, there was some, you know, some little issues going on sometimes.

Danai Gurira: The shoulder was like, what you doing to me, man?  What you trying to do here?  So you’d thank God for astounding PT.  You know, gotta give my love and thanks to the women of NeuroSports.  

Alex Livinalli: [laugh] I second that.

Danai Gurira: Love you, ladies.  Love you, ladies.  And you know, so yeah.  It was a very intricate process that I’m just thankful for the team we had.  We had an amazing team.

Jacqueline Coley: I appreciate it.  We’re gonna try and get to a couple more before we get out of here for the tons of folks watching this.  Janna Nagase from the Gazeta News has a question for I think a few of you, but I’m gonna direct it first to you, Tenoch.  

Jacqueline Coley: How was it for you to bring Namor and your own ancient culture into the MCU?  And then also in the underwaters scenes, how much swimming did you have before this?  How much swimming experience and how much did you have to get?  I will say, I feel like that’s just so, like, shady question.  And I’m sorry to ask this, sorry to the person.  I didn’t wanna be [laugh] mean.

Tenoch Huerta:  [laugh] No.  First I think when the Ryan and all the team decide to give him, you know, to provide Namor with this background.  It was a fantastic move and I think now is the perfect moment to speak about it, you know?  

Tenoch Huerta: In Latin America, especially Mexico, we deny our indigenous roots, you know?  It’s just like a token sometimes.  But it’s, in general terms, we deny it because it’s not about genes for us because almost everybody in Mexico has indigenous or African roots.  It’s about culture, you know.  So culturally, we are a part from indigenous roots.  So embrace those roots and honor these two sources, main sources in Latin America which is African and indigenous roots are really important.

Tenoch Huerta:  And I hope this helped the people to embrace who they are, who we are, you know?  Look in, everybody, at the mirror and saying, what is in the mirror is okay.  They taught us to be ashamed of who we are, but it’s time to cut it off and say, yeah, this is who I am and never had nothing wrong on me.  You know, the mistake was in the eyes who were looking at us, who were judging us.  And most of the time, it was ourself.  

Tenoch Huerta: So it’s time to change, you know, the glasses and now reconciliate who we are and who, you know, with our ancestors, with all grandparents and embrace them.  So yeah, this and, you know, be part of this movement.  And now it’s happening in a movie like this.  You know, Black Panther, Ryan Coogler and all this team, I think it’s the best portrayed, it’s the best frame to talk about it and that is exciting.

Tenoch Huerta: And now the second thing is, [laugh] yeah, it was [laugh] tricky because I — [laugh] 

Jacqueline Coley: Yeah, this is the swimming.  I think you wanted to — do you wanna take your time with this one?  I see, I get it.  Go ahead.  The swimming.

Tenoch Huerta: Yeah, well I didn’t know how to swim before [laugh] this movie.  But now I can hold my breath for five minutes.

Jacqueline Coley:  Five minutes.  But Mabel, you have the record, right?

Tenoch Huerta: Eight minutes in her first immersion.

Jacqueline Coley: This is getting, like, longer by the day ’cause I heard it was six yesterday and seven.  I think it was six.  Anyway, we gotta get this last question.

Tenoch Huerta:  It’s so competitive.  [laugh] 

Jacqueline Coley:  [laugh] Look Ryan, the director has the word.  Long time.  All right, Kirsten Acuna from The Insider has this question for Nate, Kevin, and Ryan.  In this film, the men aside from Namor take a backseat and let the women shine.  What was the guide to the decision to put the women of Wakanda and make them front and center?  Oh, who wants to take that one?  Nate?

Nate Moore: Yeah, I’ll take it.  It was just the right story to tell.  I mean, these were the characters who were most affected by T’Challa’s passing and so we focused on the people who were appropriate, you know.  

Nate Moore: I think it’s not about pushing women forward or holding men back, it’s about telling the story that is organic.  And I think sometimes maybe from the outside, there’s a thought that there are agendas at play.  It’s just telling good stories, you know.  And again, we are blessed with an amazing cast who breathes life into these characters and makes you wanna see what’s happening with Shuri or what’s happening with Okoye or what’s happening with Lupita or what’s happening with Ramonda.  To not highlight them would’ve been a disservice to the story.  

Nate Moore: And so I think the movie’s better for it because if we would’ve had to wedge in some new male characters just to have that voice, that would’ve seemed sort of more performative than just telling the story we told.

Jacqueline Coley:  Yeah.  And Ryan, did you wanna add anything to that?

Ryan Coogler: Yeah.  Joe and I, Joe Robert Cole my cowriter, and I, we, you know, and Nate was there with us the whole time.  It was a team effort and this was what made sense to us.  

Ryan Coogler: You know, and I will say that, you know, Winston’s not here, but M’Baku was in this movie more than he was in the first Black Panther.  I think probably, like, a two to one ratio.  You know, he probably has twice as many scenes as he had in the first one.  And so he’s there, you know.  But Nate’s absolutely right.  What we wanted to look at was, you know, when you lose somebody, there’s, like, a blast radius.  You know, that’s like a bomb that goes off.  And who was the closest to it, you know?  And that’s who we explored.  

Ryan Coogler: And the main characters, their identities were kinda wrapped up in this man, you know, like, is the truth of it.  You know, and Shuri, every day she was alive, she had her brother.  You know, so when she lost him, you know, what we discovered while we were working on the script, and then eventually bringing it to life with the actors, was that she really lost her sense of self.  You know, she identified herself as this guy’s little sister, you know what I mean?  And as his protector and as the person who looks out for him.  

Ryan Coogler:  You know, so when she loses that, it makes her very unmoored, you know?  And the tricky thing about that is, you know, death comes for everybody, you know what I mean, is the truth of it.  And the worst nightmare that you can have is if something were to happen to you, the people who you love and leave behind would be unmoored, would be lost after you were gone, you know what I’m saying?  So we were exploring all of those, you know, all of those things.  And it wasn’t really about gender, directly, you know what I mean?  It was about who was the most, you know, who would be most affected, you know?

Jacqueline Coley:  Yeah.  And that’s why it, again, felt so authentic and, again, just so natural.  So thank you all for this.  

Jacqueline Coley:  I wanna thank you all for watching, I wanna thank our incredible cast and filmmakers.  And I wanna remind everyone that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is exclusively in movie theaters on November 11th.  Bye, everyone.

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