Marvel's Black Panther Influence On Fan Culture

Marvel comics have evolved and multiplied into various streams of media, from T.V. shows, cartoons, toys, video games to big blockbuster movies. This kind of success is more often, if not always brought on by the reception and demand of its fans. Once a fan base grows into a true full blown fandom, the fan culture of a specific media/brand attaches and devotes itself to diversify the unofficial development of its program/media. The participants of the media/program’s fandom not only push demand for more consumption of said media, but it also influences, provides or cultivates unofficial, alternative backgrounds/stories, productions and content of and for its characters and worlds. This essay will explore and discuss Marvel’s Black Panther effect

It wasn’t until after the new millennium he’d gain any attention on the big screen or have any support to become a more relevant super hero. The introduction of Black Panther himself in Captain America: Civil War was well received and this intro set the stage and foundation for Black Panther to have equal standing among Marvels other dominant super heroes like Captain America and Iron Man. And, when word hit the street of a Black Panther movie with a Black director, starring a majority Black cast and crew, to say there was public anticipation would be an understatement. Black Panther was a Marvel movie that was to be a game changer not just in representation but in its narrative (incorporating current cultural climate and

Once the movie hit the screen, a form of Black cosplay reshaped the very idea, boundaries and concept of cosplay. To supply a little insight into the world of cosplay, addressing it in very stereotypical terms and beliefs think nerd, geek, juvenile, fanatic, fun and White. Most of the traditional cosplay surrounds around fans dressing up and guising themselves as actual characters of the media program they are associated with or fanatic about. Black Panther not only had people celebrating by dressing up as characters from the movie itself but also excited people to dress up as other prominent Black characters from other movies (e.g. Coming to America, Blade) as well as wearing traditional African garb.
This is not to state that there were no Black or other persons of color participating in cosplay, instead it is presumed and asserted that Black and other persons of color receive(d) a hostile acceptance within the cosplay world. Black Panther energizes not only its die-hard fan base but it also emboldens other media brand fans of color. NPR acknowledged this and wrote an article titled “'Black Panther' Brings New Visibility To Cosplayers Of Color”, and it did in a big way by disrupted the normative exclusive and sexist behavior in