Black Panther‘s Killmonger is probably one of the best villains in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to have graced the big screen. His engaging backstory that pertained to the death of his father, N’Jobu (played by Sterling K. Brown) at the start of the film provided the character with solid motivation to seek out the throne of Wakanda. Erik Killmonger, played by Michael B. Jordan has an immense emotional scene in the film with his father but it’s a wonder as to what happened to his mother.
With the upcoming release of the Black Panther Blu-Ray, director Ryan Coogler has revealed some information on Killmonger’s mother in the Blu-Ray commentary track. According to THR, Coogler revealed that Killmonger’s mother inspired N’Jobu to expand Wakanda’s natural Vibranium resources to help outside communities. The opening scene of Black Panther featuring N’Jobu and Zuri, played by Forest Whitaker alluded to Killmonger’s mother’s being imprisoned as they concoct a break-out plan. Coogler said:
“The idea was when you see those guys talking over the paperwork in the beginning of the film, they’re talking about a way to break her out of jail. The idea was they never got her out, and she passed away in prison, so Killmonger didn’t come up with a mom either.”
This is an intriguing point of narrative in regards to how we see the ideologies of Wakanda. Killmonger’s backstory and his personal ideology is a strong narrative point as opposed to the whole world-domination trope used by various villains.
That’s not to say Marvel villains do not contain compelling backstories as Loki is another example of a compelling villain. However, Black Panther‘s decision to take its time with the villain allows the audience time to connect with him. This is often times lacking in several Marvel films in favor for grandiose action set-pieces or funny moments (looking at you, Iron-Man 3).
The Black Panther Blu-Ray will be released on May 15th.
Source: The Hollwood Reporter
