Disney is ramping up promotion for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever as the studio announced a significant piece of marketing to celebrate the legacy of the MCU's Black Panther and the late Chadwick Boseman.
Through the years, Marvel Studios and Disney have been hand-in-hand in creating content for fans, with both of them going all-out in providing promotional materials for each MCU project. However, they still didn't maximize making podcasts to fully showcase the extent of these movies.
Marvel Television already made podcasts to unveil behind-the-scenes secrets for ABC's Agents of SHIELD and Agent Carter shows.
As Wakanda Forever inches closer to its premiere, it seems that a historic move for the sequel has been made to boost the anticipation for its release.
Black Panther 2 Marketing Adds Official Podcast
Disney and Proximity Media, in collaboration with Marvel Studios and Marvel Entertainment, announced Wakanda Forever: The Official Black Panther Podcast, an official six-episode podcast about the making of the highly-anticipated sequel, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
This is the first official MCU podcast to be produced by Marvel Studios.
The podcast is hosted by Marvel Comics' Black Panther writer and National Book Award-winning author Ta-Nehisi Coates. Its first episode is set to premiere on major podcast platforms including Apple Podcasts and Spotify on Thursday, November 3.
The upcoming podcast is described as a combination of audio narrative storytelling and interviews, featuring director Ryan Coogler, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige, Ramonda star Angela Bassett, soundtrack composer Ludwig Göransson, and many more as guests.
Subsequent episodes will be available weekly in January 2023. Each episode will include host narration in tandem with guests' conversation, Göransson’s original score, film clips, and field recordings.
Proximity’s Head of Audio Paola Mardo, who also serves as the podcast's producer, shared the following statement:
“Ever since Ryan, Zinzi, and Sev entrusted Proximity’s Audio division with this project, our goal has been to tell the story of the making of ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ with as much heart and authenticity as the film itself. With our premiere episode, we’ve accomplished this goal while breaking new ground in the process, thanks to the awesome collaboration between our incredible host Ta-Nehisi Coates, our talented podcast production team, and our collaborators at Marvel and Disney.”
The podcast's first episode is set to feature a conversation between Coates and director and co-writer Ryan Coogler, as they reflect on the cultural impact of Black Panther, the legacy of the late Chadwick Boseman, and his inspiration to the cast and crew.
Coates opened up about being the host of this notable podcast in a statement below:
“There is no storyteller I admire more than Ryan Coogler. Any chance to partner with him, Proximity Media and Marvel, is a worthy one. For that opportunity to be a chronicle of the making of ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ was simply too good to pass up.”
Will Marvel Studios Create More Podcasts for Phase 5 Movies?
This latest promotional move is unprecedented for Marvel Studios, but it is unknown if this is a one-time thing or if more podcasts will be released for Phase 5 movies like Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and The Marvels.
Still, there is a possibility that this move is solely for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, mainly because of its lasting cultural impact and the moving tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman.
Meanwhile, the upcoming podcast offers an opportunity to unravel the secrets behind the development of Wakanda Forever.
Given that exclusive interviews with the likes of director Ryan Coogler and Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige will happen, it's likely that questions and answers about Black Panther's future will be tackled, especially considering that the studio already has "ideas" for Black Panther 3.
Moreover, it also celebrates the life of Boseman like never before since hearing stories from his close friends like Coogler and Angela Bassett. This will allow fans to reflect on his legacy not just in the MCU, but in the Black community.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is set to premiere in theaters on Friday, November 11.
