In a recently released BTS video, Lupita Nyong’o discusses her preparation for the underwater scenes in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which are set in the undersea realm of Talokan. In Ryan Coogler’s follow-up to his 2018 film Black Panther, Nyong’o played the former Wakandan agent Nakia once more. In the follow-up installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Okoye (Danai Gurira), M’Baku (Winston Duke), Nakia, Shuri (Letitia Wright), and Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett) must deal with the death of Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa while also contending with escalating tensions with international powers seeking vibranium as well as a potential conflict with Namor (Tenoch)
Nyong’o posted a video of herself practicing for the underwater Talokan sequences in the Black Panther sequel, which was shot early in the making of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. In the clip, the actress demonstrated how she prepared for the follow-up films by diving into a pool and lifting weights while submerged. Nyong’o joked that the exercise made her feel “like a crawfish.” See Nyong’o’s complete video down below:
How the Talokan in Black Panther 2 Was Created
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’s new environment required a lot of labor and thought, even though the stunning kingdom of Talokan was partially constructed through remarkable digital visual effects work that brought Namor’s realm to life. The Talokanil people’s clothes underwent intensive underwater testing to see how they would perform during filming. They also completed significant research into ancient Mayan culture alongside historians to build a kingdom loyal to its historical roots. Costume designer Ruth E. ensured that the Talokanil outfits would perform as they were intended to beneath water.
Explaining Nakia’s MCU Future
Despite having previously been in charge of Wakanda’s efforts to engage with the outside world, Nakia left the nation after the events of Avengers: Infinity War when T’Challa and Shuri vanished as a result of the Snap. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever explains her absence by saying that she moved to Haiti and gave birth to her and T’Challa’s hidden son, Toussaint. While Toussaint was being prepared for his father’s passing, T’Challa and Nakia decided it would be best for the youngster to be reared away from the responsibilities of royalty, making it a shocking revelation for Nakia to hear of her nephew.
It’s interesting to note that Nakia’s portrayal in the MCU differs significantly from that of her comic book version, who served as more of a rival to T’Challa and the Black Panther. However, now that Nakia has become more of an ally in the MCU and has returned to continue raising her son, she may do so in order to help Wakanda deal with any upcoming crises, such as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine’s (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) desire to ensure that the USA owns Vibranium, or to help him succeed his comic book counterpart Azari in assuming the title of Black Panther. Audiences may catch up with Toussaint’s debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which is currently in theatres, as they wait to find out the direction Marvel chooses.