“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” the highly anticipated sequel to Marvel’s 2018 hit, is now here.
Like its predecessor, the film is very diverse. This film puts a spotlight on a community not always seen in Hollywood — Latino Indigenous heritage.
To honor the moment, the National Hispanic Media Coalition invited Latino influencers and students from one of the only Indigenous Mexican schools within the Los Angeles Unified School District to a special screening of the movie.
The young moviegoers enjoyed the film’s representation. One young woman was moved to tears by the compelling storyline.
The film marks the Marvel Cinematic Universe debut of Mexican actor Tenoch Huerta. He plays Namor, the ruler of an underwater kingdom.
The actor praised the movie for bringing Mesoamerican culture to the mainstream. He called the experience “beautiful.”
“With this character, this movie and the background of the character, you can help a lot of people reconcile themselves with their ancestors and their identity,” he explained to KTLA 5’s Sam Rubin. “We have a big problem of racism. So, we deny our Indigenous or African roots. I hope this helps people, especially kids, to embrace their roots and embrace their identity and feel proud of it.”
“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” is in theaters now.