What ever happened to all the films that the MCU "Black Panther" film was supposed to inspire?

[Sgt. Sacrament]

When the MCU film "Black Panther" came out in 2018, it raked in well over $1 billion at the box office, and was something of a cultural phenomenon. One of the things that I heard in article after article about it was variations on the following theme: "Hollywood has taken notice that a project with a predominantly Black cast had earned so much, and expect more to follow." This is of course the unbreakable law of Hollywood; they are out to make money in any way possible, and imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

However, since 2018, I've wondered from time to time, where are the films inspired by "Black Panther"? I know it would take a year or so to start spinning them out... but now that "Wakanda Forever" is upon us, I'm at a loss to name anything that might have been inspired by the success of the first "Black Panther." It's shocking, honestly, nothing motivates Hollywood like the potential for big profits. Am I missing something?

(The only thing I could think of that might have been inspired by the first "Black Panther" was the recent "The Woman King" film, but that was so disparaged on #BlackTwitter (of all places!) due to the historical revisionism, that I decided not to see it.)

 

[Set Harth]

Black Adam

 

[DonIago]

In 2018 they also weren't anticipating a pandemic and the accompanying secondary effects.

 

[Guy Gardener]

Black Adam

I saw an article in 2010 that tapped Dwayne for Black Adam.

Not sure if it was fan speculation or the beginning of development hell.

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

Johnson had a serious interest in the character for quite some time.

 

[Jedman67]

I couldn't get through the first BP movie. I got bored to death during the coronation/fight scene

 

[Mr. Adventure]

So what counts as inspired by BP, is it just casting or Afrofuturism? There's certainly a trend in casting POC but I don't know that it's a result of BP, seems more part of an overall movement. I'm sure box office returns didn't hurt in perpetuating the trend.

 

[Dee1891]

When the MCU film "Black Panther" came out in 2018, it raked in well over $1 billion at the box office, and was something of a cultural phenomenon. One of the things that I heard in article after article about it was variations on the following theme: "Hollywood has taken notice that a project with a predominantly Black cast had earned so much, and expect more to follow." This is of course the unbreakable law of Hollywood; they are out to make money in any way possible, and imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

However, since 2018, I've wondered from time to time, where are the films inspired by "Black Panther"? I know it would take a year or so to start spinning them out... but now that "Wakanda Forever" is upon us, I'm at a loss to name anything that might have been inspired by the success of the first "Black Panther." It's shocking, honestly, nothing motivates Hollywood like the potential for big profits. Am I missing something?

(The only thing I could think of that might have been inspired by the first "Black Panther" was the recent "The Woman King" film, but that was so disparaged on #BlackTwitter (of all places!) due to the historical revisionism, that I decided not to see it.)

I didn't believe that prediction.

 

[FPAlpha]

So what counts as inspired by BP, is it just casting or Afrofuturism? There's certainly a trend in casting POC but I don't know that it's a result of BP, seems more part of an overall movement. I'm sure box office returns didn't hurt in perpetuating the trend.

I think a big part of its appeal is that Africans ( or POC in general) were portrayed in a very positive light as successful, decent and powerful people, who can stand against anybody on their own terms and are not beholden to anyone, much less owe their status to others, especially white people.

It all comes down to breaking of stereotypes as well as seeing yourself as a POC represented that well on the screen, something to be proud of. It also didn't hurt that the story, the acting and the production of the movie was excellent, one of the MCU's best.

 

[The Wormhole]

There have been a few movies with predominantly black casts. Off the top of my head there was Nope just this past summer and last year there was Tom Clancy's Without Remorse. Granted, Without Remorse was a streaming movie, though if it weren't for the pandemic it would have been a theatrical release.

 

[Owain Taggart]

There have been a few movies with predominantly black casts. Off the top of my head there was Nope just this past summer and last year there was Tom Clancy's Without Remorse. Granted, Without Remorse was a streaming movie, though if it weren't for the pandemic it would have been a theatrical release.

I think the important thing is that before Black Panther, there was no fantasy/superhero movie with an entirely black cast, and that's an important distinction in terms of representation. That's why it was thought more would follow in its wake. Might take a bit longer due to the Pandemic, but I still think it could happen.

 

[Set Harth]

Even Black Panther’s cast isn’t entirely black. There’s also Gollum, Bilbo Baggins and the Winter Soldier

 

[theenglish]

I saw Black Panther when I was living in western Africa--people loved the film. But watching it at the time was an awkward experience (and an educational one). In the theatre when Shuri called Agent Ross a "colonizer" there was a huge, enthusiastic reaction and comments similar to Yeah, Tell Him! and when she called him an idiot a little later in the film the audience broke out in laughter and thunderous applause. I also remember the local teachers in my school taking photos of themselves doing the Wakanda salute.

We haven't had a lot of films directly looking like Wakanda, but we have had an increase in dramatic films featuring a predominantly black cast and dealing with issues other than slavery in the past five years. We've also had Jordan Peele's trilogy of films. Change is slow, but it is happening in a positive direction.

 

[Set Harth]

The colonizer line got a huge crowd laugh in my theater.

 

[The Wormhole]

Yeah, everyone in my theatre was also laughing their asses off at the colonizer line.

 

[Sgt. Sacrament]

Thanks for all of the replies.

in the OP, I purposefully didn't define what 'inspired by Black Panther' meant, and at least from the the replies I can see that there is no clear answer. It was pretty simple.... (1) "Black Panther" earned $1+B at the box office, (2) Hollywood wants to make money [an indisputable fact] (3) so Hollywood sees an opportunity revealed by "Black Panther" that they are going to exploit [from clickbait articles online].

What that meant, how Hollywood would try to exploit that opportunity - more Afrocentric films, or films with predominantly Black casts, or just films with more diversity, unsure.

"Black Adam" was an interesting suggestion, although as pointed out, Dwayne Johnson had been tied to that film for over a decade, but maybe BP helped push it over the finish line. Probably more it was Johnson's box office clout, and the diversity he brings does hurt. Perhaps "Aquaman" is in a similar boat, although at the time I don't know that Jason Momoa was considered that bankable yet, and he brings some diversity cac

If anything, from the replies, it may be that the answer to the question is, "It is at best unclear that anything has yet come of this prediction."

 

[Sgt. Sacrament]

I didn't believe that prediction.

Yeah, I agree with you, I was skeptical too... but a $1+B box office is BIG, hard for Hollywood to ignore a chance to make $$$.

I remember Simon Pegg saying something before "Star Trek Beyond" came out that the studio kept mentioning to him that "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" made $2B... and I thought, "REALLY? I hope they aren't expecting that kind of money! I can't imagine even a great Star Trek film earning even $500M!"

 

[Locutus of Bored]

We only talking MCU films? Because if you expand the parameters to include TV series and DC and other properties:

Blade (MCU reboot film)
Ms. Marvel
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Watchmen (TV series)
Lovecraft Country

Not a lot, but the pandemic did slow things down considerably for two years as well.

 

[crookeddy]

Would the Woman King have been made without BP's popularity?

 

[Grendelsbayne]

"Black Adam" was an interesting suggestion, although as pointed out, Dwayne Johnson had been tied to that film for over a decade, but maybe BP helped push it over the finish line. Probably more it was Johnson's box office clout, and the diversity he brings does hurt. Perhaps "Aquaman" is in a similar boat, although at the time I don't know that Jason Momoa was considered that bankable yet, and he brings some diversity cac

Aquaman was already filmed before Black Panther came out.