“I Had a Lot of Problems Writing Wakanda": Black Panther Writer Nnedi Okorafor Opens Up
- Renowned Nigerian author Nnedi Okorafor has opened up about her initial struggles with writing Black Panther, revealing how she almost turned down Marvel's offer
- The New York Times bestselling writer questioned why a technologically advanced African nation would stay silent during colonialism and engage more with America than its African neighbours
- Social media users shared mixed reactions to Okorafor's revelations, with some praising her, while others criticised her decision to accept the project despite her moral concerns
Renowned Nigerian author and New York Times bestselling writer, Nnedi Okorafor, has revealed why she struggled with Marvel Studios’ Black Panther project, explaining that the fictional world of Wakanda raised serious concerns for her about how Africa was being represented.
Speaking in an interview with Al Jazeera English, she shared that her hesitation came from the way Wakanda’s story conflicted with her personal understanding of African history and identity.
Source: Instagram
Okorafor explained that one of her biggest challenges was the idea of Wakanda as a wealthy and technologically advanced African nation that chose to remain hidden from the rest of the world.
She questioned why such a powerful country would stay silent during colonialism and other painful chapters in Africa’s past, describing this as a troubling contradiction.
She also pointed out that Wakanda’s relationships seemed more focused on the United States than on neighbouring African nations, which she found problematic.
Another factor that made her reluctant was her discomfort with monarchies. The idea of a king ruling over Wakanda did not sit well with her, and this added to her doubts about taking on the project.
Source: Instagram
Okorafor is widely recognised for her works on African culture, fantasy and science fiction.
Her writing career has earned her international recognition, and Marvel’s invitation to write Black Panther placed her at the centre of one of the most influential comic franchises in the world.
Despite her reservations, she eventually accepted the role because she believed it gave her a rare chance to reshape the narrative from within.
She mentioned her work, Long Live the King, as an example, where she deliberately introduced symbolic scenes to humanise leadership in Wakanda.
In one moment, the king walks barefoot into a community, a subtle rejection of distant royalty and a gesture that brought power closer to the people.
Watch the video below:
Netizens react to Okorafor's Wakanda concerns
Legit.ng compiled the reactions of netizens below:
@eckx__:
"👏👏 i been saying this Black Panther was imperial propaganda aimed especially at youth. so many kids now think Africa and wakanda are the same and know nothing about the Black Panther party."
@bettycollins8:
"I had some of those same thoughts, and with popular fantasy in genl, the emphasis on monarchy. Still, the movie had a stunning aesthetic. Loved the costumes esp."
@athrazhur:
"It's a non African story. No Africa would envision such a perspective. It is a story designed to fit into a universe of colonial barbarism. These are not our fantasies, it's another form of slavery, intellectual slavery to defeatists ideology."
@just_a_jesus_lovingal:
"She had major moral questions regarding the whole Wakanda idea but she still did it and profited off it. Hmm"
@rasullcob:
"Lmfao 😆😂 it's a movie negroes in America have this delusional ideology of this Utopia type world that doesn't even exist it's a marvel movie for God's sake this is why we as a people are never going to be United because of fantasies and beliefs of this black Utopia that's never going to happen the fact that she said oh I can't write the script for black panther because I don't like the concept of a monarch Africa always had monarchs or kings in ancient times what is she talking about"
@brian_kj_johnson:
"She sounds completely ridiculous"
Itele celebrates as his movie Koleoso makes history
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Nollywood actor Ibrahim Yekini, popularly known as Itele, announced his movie Koleoso had reached 100 million views on YouTube, making it the first Nollywood and African film to achieve such a milestone.
The actor shared the news on his Instagram page, celebrating the record-breaking success and emphasising its significance for the Nigerian film industry.
Itele explained that the success of Koleoso reflects the creativity, consistency and hard work invested in the project.
Colleagues in the industry joined in celebrating the milestone, with Femi Adebayo describing it as a collective win for Nollywood, while Toyin Abraham, Eniola Ajao, Destiny Etiko and several other stars sent in their congratulatory messages.
Proofreading by Kola Muhammed, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
