The cast of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever just shared some behind-the-scenes facts and they’re wild. The movie is a new chapter in the journey of the Black Panther and a heartwarming tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman. Every member of the cast and the crew of the movie had a lot of fun creating this beautiful story, and they got a lot to share too.
So let’s gather up and see what happened behind the scenes of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Get ready for some hilarious backstories and secrets!
1. Tenoch Huerta Has To Learn How To Swim For His Role As Namor
Source: Marvel/ Courtesy of Everett Collection
"Can you swim?" was the first question Tenoch Huerta was asked when he agreed to play Namor. The actor jokingly answered back that he never drowned before. However, just to make sure, Huerta still had to learn to swim for his role. "I was taking classes...with floaties," he recalled in an interview.
2. Lupita Nyong'o Also Got To Train Underwater
Source: Lupita Nyong'o Tiktok
Aside from Huerta, Lupita Nyong'o also took it upon herself to train underwater despite no one in the crew asking her to do so. The actress wanted to be as comfortable in the water as possible so her character could look realistic. She challenged herself by holding her breath and carrying giant weights through the water. In the end, Lupita nailed her role.
3. Even The Movie Director Has To Learn How To Swim Too!
Source: Marvel/ Courtesy of Everett Collection
Yup, not only did the actors have to learn how to swim, but director Ryan Coogler also had to do so too. According to him, he needed to know how to swim so he could direct this movie without having the fear of water as an obstacle.
4. The Talokans’ Makeup Were Painted By Paint Rollers
Source: Everett Collection
To make the makeup process easier, makeup department head Joel Harlow came up with the brilliant idea of using paint rollers instead of regular makeup brushes. This made it 10 times easier and faster to paint the actors playing Talokans blue.
5. Tenoch Huerta Called His Namor Costume The "Shame Shorts"
Source: Marvel/ Courtesy of Everett Collection
The costume Namor wore to the battle was called the "shame shorts" by none other than Tenoch Huerta himself. The actor thought that the shorts were too small, and he claimed to ask for a whole suit with muscles included instead of them.
6. Namora Holds The Record For Holding Her Breath Underwater
Source: Marvel/ Courtesy of Everett Collection
Out of all the members of the cast, Mabel Cadena (who plays Namora) is the one who holds the record of having the longest time underwater. She can hold her breath underwater for six and a half minutes!
7. Having Rihanna On The Soundtrack Was the Director’s Dream
Source: Everett Collection
Originally, having Rihanna on the soundtrack was a "pie-in-the-sky idea" to Ryan Coogler. Thanks to the friendship between composer Ludwig Göransson and Rihanna, along with a call to
Jay-Z and Jay Brown of Roc Nation, Coogler's dream is granted.
8. The Reason Why Shuri Became The Main Character
Source: Marvel/ Courtesy of Everett Collection
According to Coogler, Shuri was chosen to be the main character because T'Challa's death would impact her the most. He was a constant presence for her, so when he passed away it was her world that changed the most dramatically. That should be where the narrative center around.
9. The Costumes In The Movie Have Weights Added To Them
Source: Marvel/ Courtesy of Everett Collection
To create realistic scenes of the Talokan’s underwater city, costume designer Ruth E. Carter had to add weights to the costumes to get the right look. She tested the costumes in a 20-foot tank several times before coming up with that idea.
10. The Wakandans Wearing White To King T'challa's Funeral Is Based on A Ghanaian Tradition
Source: Marvel/ Courtesy of Everett Collection
The costumes during King T'Challa's funeral are based on a Ghanaian tradition. Before she made the costumes, Ruth E. Carter spoke with a historian on African culture, especially West African culture. She was told that the African people of Ghana had the tradition of wearing white to funerals, so she made sure all the costumes in the funeral scenes were white.
11. Costume Designer Ruth E. Carter Took Inspiration From Various Cultures Across Africa To Create A Unique Identity For Each Wakandan Tribe
Source: Marvel/ Courtesy of Everett Collection
Ruth E. Carter also took inspiration from various cultures across Africa to create unique costumes for each Wakandan tribe. You could see in the movie that the Zulu often wore white fur and shells while the Jabari came through with white raffia skirts and white paint on their chests. Other tribes also had their own features, which made each costume at the funeral look unique.
12. There Was A List Of Hundreds Of Potential Titles Before
Source: Marvel/ Courtesy of Everett Collection
Before they settled on Wakanda Forever, there was "literally a list of hundreds" of potential titles. However, the movie was ultimately named Black Panther: Wakanda Forever because it was a perfect name for a movie about legacy and triumph through adversity.
13. They Got Adidas To Make Enough Shoes For All the Stunts
Source: Marvel/ Courtesy of Everett Collection
Shuri's white Adidas sneakers were specially made from a new 4-D technology that would be launched soon. Adidas only sent Carter one pair at first, but the costume designer got them to make enough shoes for all the stunts. Adidas was surprised that they needed two, but Carter surprised them even more when she asked for ten.
14. Letitia Wright Dedicated Each Scene To Her Late Costar Chadwick Boseman
Source: Marvel/ Courtesy of Everett Collection
Letitia Wright wanted to make late costar Chadwick Boseman proud, so she pushed herself to go above and beyond for her role. The actress dedicated every scene to Boseman.
15. The Cast Blamed Coogler For The Long Process Of Filming Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Source: Everett Collection
At the end of the long 10-month shoot, the cast jokingly explained that the movie took so long to shoot because director Ryan Coogler called this Wakanda Forever. Lupita Nyong'o told the Hollywood Reporter, "It’s forever, and ever, and ever, and ever."
So those are some interesting behind-the-scenes facts about Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Like any other
Marvel movie, this one also got a lot of
Easter eggs hidden in it. Think you spot them all?