The latest expansion of Wakanda's story, the animated series Eyes of Wakanda, is a fun excursion shining new light on the nation's place in MCU history.
Ryan Coogler's Oscar-nominated Black Panther gave audiences an exciting look at Wakanda, the powerful but secretive and isolationist nation that played a major role in the fight against Thanos. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever opened our eyes further, introducing the equally advanced and hidden Atlantean people, but it's clear we've only seen a taste of Wakandan history.
Eyes of Wakanda is a four-part anthology tale about the Hatut Zaraze, Wakanda's "War Dogs," who infiltrate the outside world to retrieve Wakandan artifacts.
The series is unique as the first Marvel Studios Animation series to be released simultaneously (all four episodes premiere simultaneously), and for being their first animated series set in the MCU's Sacred Timeline. It's a gorgeous, breezy look at Wakanda's deep and secret history, while also being too short for its own good.
'Eyes of Wakanda' Is Marvel's Best Looking Animated Series Yet
Each of Eyes of Wakanda's four episodes tells a unique story that spans Wakanda's history. "Into the Lion's Den" sees former Dora Milaje warrior Noni (Winnie Harlow) on a mission to overthrow Nakati (Cress Williams), the former Captain of the King's Guard gone rogue. Nakati, now a warlord codenamed The Lion, has confiscated a host of Vibranium weapons in an effort to build himself a kingdom.
The second episode, "Legends and Lies," follows the deeply embedded B'Kai (Larry Herron) participating in the Trojan War. The third tells the tale of Agent Basha (Jacques Colimon), who pilfers a sacred dragon statue from 15th-century China, attaining the ire of the era's Iron Fist.
The final episode sees Wakandan Prince Tafari (Zeke Alton) retrieve a Vibranium axe—the same artifact that Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) steals at the beginning of Black Panther. En route home, Tafari is visited by the future, final Black Panther, who warns that he must return the axe. In her timeline, the axe was never discovered, the events that brought Wakanda to the world stage never happened, and the divided Earth fell to an unstoppable insectoid alien menace, the Horde.
Created by Marvel storyboard artist Todd Harris, the series is Marvel Animation's most beautiful yet. It draws from notable Black artists, including Ernie Barnes and illustrator Dean Cornwell, for a hand-painted, Afro-futuristic style. It's gorgeous, and showcasing Wakanda through different ages and settings provides a fantastic opportunity to showcase that beauty.
'Eyes of Wakanda' Is Epic But Fleeting
From a dramatic standpoint, each story is a well-told window into the secretive African nation's past. It's fun and engaging to watch distinct Wakandan warriors tussle with Achilles, take on rogue warlords, or fight a future horde of Alien insects. The various voice actors give solid performances, and each episode has at least one high-octane combat sequence showing off the power of Wakanda's elite warriors.
At the same time, four 30-minute episodes are a regrettably small taste of the nation's secret history. Each episode is fun, but the short 30-ish-minute stories are fleeting interludes with these characters and settings. The brevity also creates issues on a larger series scale. By the time it hits a stride, it's over! Consequently, while it is exciting to see the series flesh out the world of Black Panther and integrate with the Sacred Timeline, it's hard to see what impact that may have.
The fourth episode provides interesting potential for a future Marvel property. In restoring the artifact to connect Wakanda to the wider world and fighting off the Horde, the series' final notes imply that Earth's heroes will face and defeat the destructive alien army at some point. As the MCU expands its roster of top-notch cosmic-grade baddies, a now-teased battle with the Horde could prove another thrilling challenge in Marvel's future.
Altogether, Eyes of Wakanda is a largely successful window into one of the coolest parts of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It's gorgeous, entertaining, and boasts a variety of settings that prevent it from ever feeling redundant.
At the same time, it's regrettably (and a bit inexplicably) brief, dampening excitement over its canonical inclusion in the MCU's Sacred Timeline. It's a delicious, visually stunning appetizer that succeeds on its own merits while simultaneously teasing a meal that may never arrive.
All four episodes of Eyes of Wakanda are available on Disney+.
