Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has finally hit theaters, and it’s time to celebrate all the diverse culture the superhero film is bringing to the eyes of Marvel fans worldwide.
Along with a diverse Latine cast that includes actors Tenoch Huerta as Namor, Lupita Nyong’o as Nakia, Mabel Cadena as Namora, and Alex Livinalli as Attuma, the film also looked to our communities for its set locations. The beautiful Caribbean island of Puerto Rico serves as the setting when the Wakanda storyline transports audiences to the countries of Mexico and Haiti.
According to the travel website Tropical Life, the locations in Puerto Rico used in the film were Playa Las Palmas in Manatí; Punta Cibuco in Vega Baja; Hacienda Campo Rico in Carolina; Elvira House in Arecibo; and the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture in Old San Juan.
The Cosmic Circus also reported earlier this year that the studio used the closed Ritz Carlton Hotel and Casino to construct set pieces and to utilize some of its interiors.
According to Discover Puerto Rico, Playa Las Palmas is an ideal beach for a photo shoot, but swimming is not recommended because of its rough waters. Hacienda Campo Rico describes itself as a 2,000-acre “idyllic tropical paradise” and “former agricultural plantation” near the capital of San Juan. Marvel fans who want to experience what some of the Wakanda Forever cast did can even rent out the Elvira House on Airbnb.
Other fairly recent blockbusters that have used Puerto Rico as its backdrop include the 2011 sequel Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, the 2011 sequel Fast Five, the 2016 superhero sequel Captain America: Civil War, and the reboot of The Suicide Squad, which hit theaters last year.