Eyes of Wakanda | |
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Genre | |
Created by | Todd Harris |
Based on | |
Developed by | Ryan Coogler |
Showrunner | Todd Harris |
Directed by | Todd Harris |
Starring |
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Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
Production | |
Executive producers |
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Production companies | |
Original release | |
Network | Disney+ |
Related | |
Marvel Cinematic Universe television series |
Eyes of Wakanda is an upcoming American animated television miniseries created by Todd Harris for the streaming service Disney+, based on the Marvel Comics location Wakanda. It is intended to be the 15th television series in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) from Marvel Studios and is produced by Marvel Studios Animation with Proximity Media. The series shares continuity with the films of the MCU. It follows the Hatut Zaraze, Wakandan warriors who carry out dangerous missions throughout history. Harris served as showrunner and director.
The series stars Winnie Harlow, Cress Williams, Patricia Belcher, Larry Herron, Adam Gold, Lynn Whitfield, Jacques Colimon, Jona Xiao, Isaac Robinson-Smith, Gary Anthony Williams, Zeke Alton, Steve Toussaint, and Anika Noni Rose. In February 2021, an overall deal between Disney and Ryan Coogler's Proximity Media was announced. An animated series about Wakanda was in development by March 2023, and was officially announced as Eyes of Wakanda that December. Harris's involvement was revealed in March 2024. Unlike Marvel Animation's other series to that point, Eyes of Wakanda is set in the MCU's "Sacred Timeline" and has greater connections with the franchise's films.
Eyes of Wakanda is scheduled to premiere on Disney+ on August 6, 2025, and will consist of four episodes. It will be the first series of Phase Six of the MCU.
The Hatut Zaraze, Wakandan warriors, carry out dangerous missions around the world to retrieve vibranium artifacts throughout history. [1]
The Wakandan fighter Noni will appear, [2] along with an Iron Fist, a warrior with a "glowing fist". [3] [4]
In February 2021, Ryan Coogler—writer and director of the Marvel Studios films Black Panther (2018) and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)—announced a five-year television deal between his company Proximity Media and Walt Disney Television. The deal included the development of a drama series for the streaming service Disney+ based on the fictional country of Wakanda, the setting of the Black Panther films. Coogler was developing the series with Marvel Studios' Kevin Feige, Louis D'Esposito, and Victoria Alonso. [5] [6] Richard Newby at The Hollywood Reporter said the series could expand the mythos of Wakanda while also paying tribute to Chadwick Boseman, who portrayed T'Challa / Black Panther in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) until his death in August 2020. Newby suggested that the series could further explore the character M'Baku and the Jabari Tribe; N'Jadaka / Erik "Killmonger" Stevens's mercenary past; T'Challa's father T'Chaka and his time as Black Panther; or the Dora Milaje, Wakanda's all-female special forces. Newby also noted several comic book characters that the series could introduce to the MCU: Bashenga, the first Black Panther; teenage activist Queen Divine Justice who joins the Dora Milaje; or NYPD officer Kasper Cole / White Tiger, who also takes on the mantle of Black Panther. [7]
Proximity Media was developing several series set in Wakanda by November 2022. [8] In March 2023, journalist Jeff Sneider reported that Coogler and Disney were developing an animated series with the tentative title The Golden City, referring to the Wakandan capital city Birnin Zana; [9] [10] a production listing gave Golden City as the working title for the initial Wakanda-set drama series. [10] [11] The following month, Marvel Studios executive Nate Moore said they had discussed multiple ideas for featuring Black Panther characters in Disney+ series but they were wary about detracting from the "cinematic experience" of the franchise. [12] In December, Marvel Studios Animation head Brad Winderbaum officially announced the animated series Eyes of Wakanda as part of a sizzle reel of the studio's upcoming series. It was revealed to focus on the stories of different Wakandan warriors throughout history. [13] Coogler and Proximity Media were confirmed to be involved, [14] [15] and a showrunner was working on the series by then. [16] Commentators discussed whether it was the same as a previously reported series focused on the Dora Milaje character Okoye. [17] Stephanie Holland at The Root compared the series' premise to the animated Star Wars series Tales of the Jedi (2022), which similarly follows different characters at different times. [18]
Former Marvel Studios storyboard artist Todd Harris was revealed in January 2024 to have pitched the series to Marvel and Coogler. [15] Ideas for it began during the filming of Black Panther. [3] Later in 2024, Winderbaum said Harris created and directed the series, [19] [20] and he was confirmed to be the showrunner in January 2025. [21] Harris was also an executive producer alongside Coogler, Winderbaum, Feige, D'Esposito, Zinzi Coogler, Sev Ohanian, Kalia King, and Dana Vasquez-Eberhardt. [1] Marvel Studios reportedly spent nearly $20 million between June 2022 and June 2023 on an animated series that was believed to be Eyes of Wakanda. [22]
Eyes of Wakanda follows the Hatut Zaraze, Wakandan warriors who travel the world throughout history to retrieve dangerous vibranium artifacts. [1] It is centered on the legacy of the Black Panther as that mantle is passed down over generations, [23] and on the idea that Wakanda is "untethered by expansion" and hidden from the rest of the world. Harris said the Hatut Zaraze were "Wakanda's CIA" whose loyalty is tested on their missions. [21] The series is set in the MCU's "Sacred Timeline" along with the films and live-action series, differentiating it from Marvel Animation's earlier series which are set in alternate universes from the main MCU. [19] [20] The creative team worked back from the "existing framework" of the films when developing the series' stories. [3] Marc Bernardin, who worked as a writer on the video game Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra (2025), wrote two episodes by December 2023. He worked on them for nine months during the COVID-19 pandemic. [24] Matthew Chauncey also wrote for the series after doing so for the Marvel Studios series What If...? (2021–2024) and Ms. Marvel (2022). [25] : 7 [ better source needed ]
Winnie Harlow, Cress Williams, Patricia Belcher, Larry Herron, Adam Gold, Lynn Whitfield, Jacques Colimon, Jona Xiao, Isaac Robinson-Smith, Gary Anthony Williams, Zeke Alton, Steve Toussaint, and Anika Noni Rose were revealed to have been cast in the series in November 2024. Cress voices a character called the Lion. [1]
Eyes of Wakanda features a hand-painted animation style inspired by contemporary African-American artists such as Ernie Barnes, as well as illustrator Dean Cornwell. [3] [26] Work on character designs and animatics occurred by the series' announcement in December 2023. [16] Harris said the ambitious series could only be made with animation due to the locations and time periods depicted, explaining that in animation "Egypt costs just as much as New York City, and the Moon costs just as much as Ohio". [21]
Eyes of Wakanda was promoted by Coogler and Harris during Marvel Studios Animation's panel at the D23 convention in August 2024, where some footage was shown. [2] [3] [27] Footage from the series was included in a video that was released by Disney+ in October, announcing the release schedule for Marvel Television and Marvel Animation projects through the end of 2025. [28]
Eyes of Wakanda is scheduled to premiere on Disney+ on August 6, 2025, [28] and will consist of four episodes. [2] It was previously scheduled to be released in 2024. [29] It will be the first series of Phase Six of the MCU. [30]
Marvel Studios, LLC, formerly known as Marvel Films, is an American film and television production company. Marvel Studios is the creator of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), a media franchise and shared universe of films and television series produced by the studio, based on characters that appear in Marvel Comics publications. The studio was founded in 1993 by Avi Arad as part of Marvel Entertainment Group and has been led by producer Kevin Feige, who serves as its president since 2007. The studio originally licensed the film rights to several Marvel characters before beginning to produce its own films in 2004, and has since regained many of those rights. In 2009, the Walt Disney Company acquired Marvel Studios' parent company Marvel Entertainment, and in 2015, they transferred Marvel Studios to the Walt Disney Studios, which has been a part of the Disney Entertainment division since 2023. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures has distributed most of the studio's films since The Avengers (2012).
Wakanda, officially the Kingdom of Wakanda, is a fictional country appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the country first appeared in Fantastic Four #52. Wakanda is located in sub-Saharan Africa and has been depicted as being in East Africa. It is home to the superhero Black Panther.
Black Panther / Aja-Adanna is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Reginald Hudlin and artist John Romita Jr., the character first appeared in Black Panther vol. 4 #2. Shuri is the princess of the fictional African nation of Wakanda. She is the daughter of T'Chaka and younger sister of T'Challa, who is the king of Wakanda and the Black Panther, an earned title and rank given to the paramount chief of the nation.
Black Panther is a 2018 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is the 18th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The film was directed by Ryan Coogler, who co-wrote the screenplay with Joe Robert Cole, and it stars Chadwick Boseman as T'Challa / Black Panther alongside Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman, Daniel Kaluuya, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, Sterling K. Brown, Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker, and Andy Serkis. In Black Panther, T'Challa is crowned king of Wakanda following his father's death, but he is challenged by Killmonger (Jordan), who plans to abandon the country's isolationist policies and begin a global revolution.
Okoye is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Christopher Priest and artist Mark Texeira, the character first appeared in Black Panther #1. Okoye is the General of the special forces for the fictional African nation of Wakanda called Dora Milaje.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is a 2022 American superhero film based on Marvel Comics featuring the character Shuri / Black Panther. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is the sequel to Black Panther (2018) and the 30th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Directed by Ryan Coogler, who co-wrote the screenplay with Joe Robert Cole, the film stars Letitia Wright as Shuri / Black Panther, alongside Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Winston Duke, Florence Kasumba, Dominique Thorne, Michaela Coel, Mabel Cadena, Tenoch Huerta Mejía, Martin Freeman, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Angela Bassett. In the film, the leaders of Wakanda fight to protect their nation in the wake of King T'Challa's death.
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