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      Wakanda rising: Black Panther and commodity production in the Disney universe

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          Abstract

          This article examines the superhero film Black Panther as a cultural commodity produced and distributed within an industrial capitalist system. The film has not only generated millions of dollars for the Disney Company, but has also stoked collective imaginations and energised the agency of audiences with its portrayal of the Afrofuturistic utopia, the kingdom of Wakanda, untouched by the ravages of colonialism and ruled by benevolent leaders endowed with superpowers. The film, is currently ranked first in terms of its lifetime gross revenues in the categories of comic book adaptation and superhero film and is the most successful of the Marvel Cinematic Universe characters' films so far. Black Panther's many firsts in the superhero genre reflect its non-financial feats: first to feature an almost entirely Black cast; first top-grossing film with an almost entirely Black cast; and biggest debut for an African American director (Disney 2018a). I demonstrate that while Black Panther showcases the work of African American filmmakers, storytellers and artists, and recognises Afrofuturism narratives, the film is also a commodity that sustains the system that produced it. Recognising and establishing the connections between commodity, cultural production and economics also offers a chance to identify opportunities for counter-hegemonies and challenges to the systemic erasure of Afro-histories.

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          Most cited references9

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          Conceptualizing culture as commodity: The problem of television

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            Afrofuturism 2.0 and the black speculative arts movement: notes on a manifesto

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              Contribution to a political economy of mass-communication.

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                Author and article information

                Contributors
                Role: ND
                Journal
                it
                Image & Text
                IT
                Department of Visual Arts at the University of Pretoria (Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa )
                1021-1497
                2617-3255
                2019
                : 33
                : 1-20
                Affiliations
                [01] Philadelphia orgnameSt Joseph's University Philadelphia orgdiv1Department of English United States of America sbhayroo@ 123456sju.edu
                Article
                S1021-14972019000100003
                10.17159/2617-3255/2018/n33a3
                46fbe7a8-df13-4396-82d6-e5a1de6984fd

                This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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                Page count
                Figures: 0, Tables: 0, Equations: 0, References: 34, Pages: 20
                Product

                SciELO South Africa

                Categories
                Articles

                Walt Disney Company,Marvel Comic Universe,Afrofuturism,political economy,commodity,Black Panther

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