Marvel's "Thor" Was Based on Nordic Mythology, but included Africans as White Gods; "Black Panther" Created by Two Jewish Guys in 1960s, is Ultimate Black Power Myth Now

PK NOTE: For the record, the Nordic myths behind the Marvel character Thor bound a people together and formed the basis of a civilization via religion; two Jewish guys invented Wakanda in the 1960s, a black power fantasy depicting an African nation untouched by white hands that present-day black people now worship as manifestation of Afrofuturism and solving Hollywood's "Africa Problem" 


Shot. [Idris Elba defends Thor film role: Race debate stirs after London-born star of The Wire wins role as Norse deity Heimdall in Kenneth Branagh's new film Thor, The Guardian, 4-27-10]:

Even for an actor who has played a vampire-hunter with a guilty conscience, a Baltimore crime lord with a taste for Adam Smith, and an asset manager with a stalker, the role of the Norse deity Heimdall – guardian of the burning rainbow bridge between the world of men and the world of gods – was always going to be a bit of a challenge. 

Marvel's Thor: A mockery of European traditions, myths, and religion

But playing a god in Kenneth Branagh's forthcoming film Thor has turned out to be the least of Idris Elba's worries, after fans of the comic books turned on the star of The Wire for reasons that have nothing to do with his acting ability and everything to do with the colour of his skin. 

When news emerged late last year that the 37-year-old black Londoner had been chosen to play Heimdall, "the whitest of the gods", a being who can hear the sap flowing in trees and look across time and space, many devotees of the Marvel comics on which the film is based flocked to online forums to weep, gnash their teeth and unleash a tide of indignation. 

A fortnight ago, the actor told Jonathan Ross that his take on Heimdall was "Norse by way of Hackney, Canning Town". And at the beginning of the month, he told a press conference that he saw his casting as an encouraging step. 

His view was not shared among the more vehement of the comic books' fans. "This PC crap has gone too far!" wailed one. "Norse deities are not of an African ethnicity! … It's the principle of the matter. It's about respecting the integrity of the source material, both comics and Norse mythologies." 

Fellow fans were quick to nod their horn-helmeted heads. 

"At the risk of sounding like a bigot, I think this is nuts!" said another. "Asgard is home to the Norse Gods!!! Not too many un-fair complexion types roaming the frigid waste lands up there. I wouldn't expect to see many Brad Pitt types walking around in the [first mainstream black superhero] Black Panther's Wakanda Palace!" 

Elba, who was born in Hackney, north-east London, to a Ghanaian mother and Sierra Leonean father, has addressed such concerns in a string of recent interviews."There has been a big debate about it: can a black man play a Nordic character?" he told TV Times. "Hang about, Thor's mythical, right? Thor has a hammer that flies to him when he clicks his fingers. That's OK, but the colour of my skin is wrong? 

"I was cast in Thor and I'm cast as a Nordic god," he said. "If you know anything about the Nords, they don't look like me but there you go. I think that's a sign of the times for the future. I think we will see multi-level casting. I think we will see that, and I think that's good."

Chaser. [Who’s Allowed to Wear a Black Panther Mask?, Kwame Opam, 2-13-18]:

In an interview with BuzzFeed News in the fall, Sterling K. Brown, a star of “Black Panther,” thrilled at the prospect of children, black and white, dressing up as the title character. “This Halloween, the first time I see a little kid, a white kid, dressed up as Black Panther, I’m taking a picture,” he said. “You better believe I’m taking a picture, because that’s the crossover.” 

Chadwick Boseman, who plays Black Panther in the film, had already witnessed said crossover, he said in the same interview: “I’ve seen little white kids dressed up as T’Challa. I’ve seen pictures, and I’ve seen it in person.” 

Wakanda: a veritable social construct, devised by two Jewish comic writers, playing upon toxic levels of black self-esteem/vanity and mentally debilitating white guilt

Black Panther costumes — whether the character’s full raiment or just his claws and mask — are on toy store shelves (and, of course, on Amazon) in anticipation of the film’s Feb. 16 release. At best, the character get-ups speak to the enthusiastic embrace of a black superhero. At worst, they could be perceived as an unwitting form of cultural appropriation, which has in recent years become a subject of freighted discourse. 

What does that dual significance mean for children? And, perhaps more urgently, what does it mean for the parents who will buy the costumes for them? 

“As parents, or even as the people creating costumes, we need to be very aware of what that says,” said Brigitte Vittrup, an associate professor of early childhood development and education at Texas Woman’s University. “There’s not a whole lot of black superheroes, so this is a really important thing, especially for black kids growing up.” 

Many parents are split on how Black Panther’s blackness should figure into their children’s relationship to the character. Some argue that placing racial boundaries around expressions of fandom is unnecessary. 

“I’m actually wondering now what it might be like for that parent who’s not of color if his kid comes home and says, ‘I want to dress up like Black Panther,’” said Katrina Jones, 39, the director of human resources at Vimeo. “When I look at it, I see no reason why a kid who’s not black can’t dress like Black Panther. Just like our kid who’s not white dresses up like Captain America. I think the beautiful thing about comics is they do transcend race in a lot of ways.” 

Mary Dimacali, 29, a social media and marketing manager in Rockland County, New York, echoed that idea. She does not believe that her fiancé’s 7-year-old son, Sawyer, who is white, sees the film or its characters through the lens of race. Sawyer himself, during the interview with Ms. Dimacali, said, “sure,” when she asked if he’d like to dress up as Black Panther. 

“For a white kid to be so open and judge based on the character’s story and the personality and history, I think that’s what’s important,” she said. “But on the flip side, I think it’s also great to have a black superhero you can identify and connect to.” 

The character’s history is unique. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in 1966, Black Panther rules as the king of an African technological utopia known as Wakanda. Untouched by European invaders, Wakanda exists apart from the legacies of colonization and racism. Black history and black fantasy are central to the character, and the series has brought on prominent black writers including Ta-Nehisi Coates to deepen its significance over the last 50 years. 

Consequently, some parents have felt pressure to hammer home Black Panther’s heroism through the lens of race. 

“I’m conflicted,” said Evan Narcisse, a senior writer for the website io9. He is completing “Rise of the Black Panther,” a six-part comic series for Marvel that traces the character’s early history. He has tried to explain some of that history to his 7-year-old daughter, but without delving too deeply into complex concepts like Western imperialism, which she may struggle to grasp. 

“You want that white kid to be able to think that he can dress up in a Black Panther costume, because, to that kid, there’s no difference between Captain America and Black Panther,” Mr. Narcisse, 45, said. But, he added, it also involves “trying to explain what is special about T’Challa and Wakanda without racism. And it’s like, ‘Can’t do it.’ I couldn’t do it.” 

According to the ticketing site Fandango, “Black Panther” set a record among Marvel films for the most advance tickets sold in a 24-hour period. It’s projected to make a record-breaking $165 million over Presidents’ Day weekend and comparisons to last year’s “Wonder Woman” bode well for its reception and impact, particularly for black people. 

I’ve been to Wakanda, and I may never recover. I am so grateful that our young people will see this film and their minds will be transformed. Congratulations #RyanCoogler —you did that! #blackpantherpremiere #blackpanther — Vanessa K. De Luca (@Vanessa_KDeLuca) Jan. 30, 2018 

“White people have the privilege of not constantly being reminded of their race in the United States, where white is the majority, whereas as a black person you don’t,” Ms. Vittrup said. 

She believes that parents in general, and white parents in particular, are reluctant to talk about race with young children. 

When they do, they often miss the chance to talk about inequality, even though research supports the idea that children develop an awareness of race and difference at a very young age. 

Ms. Vittrup was careful to add that dressing as Black Panther isn’t inherently appropriative or offensive. The character comes from an invented African country, and to wear his mask isn’t quite the same as wearing blackface. However, in a moment where even more black heroes, like Luke Cage and Black Lightning, are finding their way into the limelight, Black Panther’s relationship with the black community and its history creates an opportunity to teach nonblack children about the black experience. 

“Kids are not colorblind,” she said. “There’s a lot of structural inequality in our society, and kids are noticing that. By not mentioning it, by not talking about it, we’re essentially preserving the status quo.”Continue reading the main storyAdvertisementContinue reading the main story“I’m actually wondering now what it might be like for that parent who’s not of color if his kid comes home and says, ‘I want to dress up like Black Panther,’” said Katrina Jones, 39, the director of human resources at Vimeo. “When I look at it, I see no reason why a kid who’s not black can’t dress like Black Panther. Just like our kid who’s not white dresses up like Captain America. I think the beautiful thing about comics is they do transcend race in a lot of ways.”

Norse mythology is a real, highly verifiable component of European culture and identity, spanning centuries and connecting a unique racial group to their ancestors; Wakanda is a social construct, the wish fulfillment of Africans for a superior black power civilization - in the face of overwhelming empirical evidence of black dysfunction/failure when compared to European ingenuity -  only possible on film because of technology invented by white people (visual special effects), and a mythology created by two Jewish guys in the 1960s. 

Hollywood must promote black self-esteem at all cost, while doing everything possible to bury any sense of pride white people might procure from seeing their past, history, and religion proudly displayed on film. 

#WakandaIsntReal