On Tuesday (October 11), Black Panther fans got a new way to celebrate the upcoming sequel, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. A set of 13 emojis have been released that feature several characters from the film series. Character posters were also revealed.
The emojis appear on Twitter when users post a hashtag and the name of a character. For example, #Namor will activate one of the film’s newest characters, the anti-hero Namor played by actor Tenoch Huerta. In the sequel, Namor is the leader of an underwater kingdom known as Talocan.
Other Wakanda Forever characters available in emoji form include #Ayo, #Shuri, #Nakia, #Aneka, #Okoye, #Namora, #MBaku, #Attuma, #RiriWilliams, #EverettRoss and #QueenRamonda. A #WakandaForever emoji was also made available on Twitter featuring the Black Panther character made famous by the late Chadwick Boseman.
The new movie posters include three for the characters Namor, Namora (Mabel Cadena), and Attuma (Alex Livinalli).
The 43-year-old actor died of colon cancer in August 2020 before production on the sequel started. Filmmakers decided not to recast the character and, instead, wrote the script around his death. In a new Wakanda Forever featurette, cast members remembered how special Boseman was to the franchise and talked about returning to the set without him.
“It was really moving to come back to Wakanda and for us to be able to do it with a sense of celebration,” said Kenyan Mexican actress Lupita Nyong’o, who plays Nakia (or #Nakia if you want to see her emoji). “The action and adventure, with the emotional stakes so high. Things are happening up, down and everywhere.”
Wakanda Forever director Ryan Coogler also talked about Namor and what he brings to the new narrative. “Introducing Namor, it was a character we were really excited to portray in the film. Arguably, one of the oldest comic book characters that there is,” he said.
Huerta added: “The opportunity to play a character like this, it’s a dream.”
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever premieres in theaters on November 11, 2022.