As the theatrical release of Marvel’s Black Panther draws ever closer, a handful of toy descriptions that provide new details about characters such as Okoye (Danai Gurira), Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o), Erik “Killmonger” Stevens (Michael B. Jordan) and more have surfaced online. Hailing from Toys’R’Us, these descriptions come from official products sold by a major retailer.
You can read the full descriptions below.
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Black Panther (T’Challa) – As the new king of Wakanda, T’Challa is struggling to cope with the loss of his father T’Chaka, but is determined to live up to his great legacy. When Wakanda finds herself beset by two enemies intent on the nation’s downfall, Black Panther must use his new suit and heightened strength, speed and senses to defend Wakanda and the rest of the world.
Okoye – The head of the Dora Milaje, an all-female special forces group, Okoya is a fiercely loyal protector of Wakanda who isn’t afraid to question her king, but would defend him with her life. A staunch traditionalist who is as formidable with her spear as she is with her tongue, Okoye finds herself torn between her allegiance to her country and her king when T’Challa begins to challenge ancient Wakandan rules.
Nakia – A Wakandan spy pulled from her mission abroad by her former flame T’Challa, Nakia consistently gets involved in conflict for the good of others, adamant to use her abilities to help those in need. In the wake of King T’Chaka’s death and the rise of Wakanda’s new enemies, Nakia puts her skills of subterfuge and hand-to-hand combat to use in order to fight alongside Black Panther.
Shuri – Shuri is T’Challa’s younger sister and head of the Wakandan Design Group, where she designs and builds futuristic tech such as the Black Panther suit with Vibranium mined from the Great Mound. She is an innovator, intelligent beyond her years, and always ready to give her big brother a hard time.
Erik Killmonger (Erik Stevens) – Erik Stevens was an American black-ops soldier who earned the nickname “Killmonger” while in the field. However, after disappearing off the grid, he has reemerged with a plan that threatens to put Black Panther and all of Wakanda at risk. Using his charisma, considerable skills in combat and his surprising knowledge of Wakandan customs, Erik Killmonger is a dangerous threat to all that T’Challa holds dear.
M’Baku – Armed with the hardened Jabari wood armor and a battle staff, M’Baku is the formidable leader of the Jabari tribe, a group of Wakandans who have shunned the use of vibranium and removed themselves from the mainstream Wakandan life. In the wake of T’Chaka’s death, M’Baku is faced with the choice of challenging T’Challa for the throne, or joining forces with his would-be adversary to defend Wakanda from malevolent outside forces.
Everett Ross – A CIA agent and former liaison with the Joint Terrorism Task Force, Everett Ross is reunited with T’Challa when they both find themselves after the same adversary: Ulysses Klaue. A skilled tactician with advanced weapons training, Ross becomes an invaluable ally to the Black Panther.
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The toy descriptions offer new insights into as-yet-seen characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. For instance, the descriptions highlight Okoye’s struggle between her loyalty to Wakanda and the throne, while Nakia’s background as a Wakandan spy is brought to light. Likewise, M’Baku’s conflict with Wakanda and other outside forces as well as Killmonger’s background as an American black-ops soldier are disclosed.
Directed by Ryan Coogler off a script he wrote with Joe Robert Cole, Black Panther stars Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa, Michael B. Jordan as Erik Killmonger, Lupita Nyong’o as Nakia, Daniel Kaluuya as W’Kabi, Letitia Wright as Shuri, Danai Gurira as Okoye, Angela Bassett as Ramonda, Martin Freeman as Everett K. Ross, Andy Serkis as Ulysses Klaue, and Forest Whitaker as Zuri. The Marvel Studios film arrives in theaters on February 16.
via SuperHeroHype