Black Panther was already the 18th movie released by Marvel Studios, yet you could feel just moments from the fade in, that the movie was something special. Black Panther earned more than 1.3 billion dollars at the box office worldwide, notched up seven Academy Award nominations including Best Picture, Best Original Score, and Best Production Design.
Thanks to its intriguing script, empowering direction, and memorable turns from its stars, the late Chadwick Boseman, and Michael B. Jordan, Black Panther became a pop-culture phenomenon. Its fictional African setting of Wakanda became as memorable to viewers as Gotham City or Metropolis. Boseman’s untimely death from cancer in 2020 has made the film even more special and unique.
One standout sequence from the movie was the action-packed mission by T’Challa / Black Panther (Boseman), Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) and General Okoye (Danai Gurira) to trace the whereabouts of a piece of the fictional metal Vibranium. After encountering Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis), the Wakandan team engages in a car chase around nighttime Busan, South Korea. Amusingly, Klaue’s team uses a fleet of Toyotas. Behind the wheel of a Vibranium-clad Lexus LC500, via a virtual-reality link no less, was T’Challa’s kid sister Shuri (Letitia Wright), with Black Panther using the sports coupe as a moving attack platform.
The Lexus connection is set to continue with the upcoming sequel Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. This time, the elite warrior team Dora Milaje will make use of Lexus’ advanced battery-electric vehicle (BEV), the all-new RZ 450e. Before the film’s global release on 9 November 2022, the Lexus will star in a series of short films called “An Electric Future.”
The films, star Danai Gurira as General Okoye, as the Wakandan warrior takes on a new, unfamiliar role: that of public speaker. Hijinks ensue, and she is joined by her fellow Dora Milaje warriors as they go on a thrilling car chase. The spots, directed by Anthony Leonardi III, showcase the Lexus RZ 450e’s features such as steer-by-wire system and its balanced handling deriving form its Direct4 all-wheel drive. There’s plenty of power on tap thanks to front and rear axle motors: 312 total system horsepower, good for a 5.6-second sprint to 96kph.
“The power, elegance, and future-forward vision of the Lexus brand aligns perfectly with the Black Panther franchise. We couldn’t be happier to team-up with Lexus once again to bring an action- packed story and supporting 360 campaign to life,” said Mindy Hamilton, Senior Vice President of Global Partnership Marketing at The Walt Disney Company. “We’re excited and honored to continue our collaboration with the Marvel Studios’ Black Panther franchise,” adds Michael Moore, Lexus International’s General Manager for Strategic Communication. “Our all-electric RZ 450e is a perfect fit in the Dora Milaje’s cutting-edge arsenal, bringing an elevated driving experience that intuitively connects with its users through advanced technology and compelling performance.”
In Marvel Studios’ “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), Shuri (Letitia Wright), M’Baku (Winston Duke), Okoye (Danai Gurira) and the Dora Milaje (including Florence Kasumba), fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T’Challa’s death. As the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes must band together with the help of War Dog Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) and Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) and forge a new path for the kingdom of Wakanda. Introducing Tenoch Huerta as Namor, king of a hidden undersea nation, the film also stars Dominique Thorne, Michaela Coel, Mabel Cadena and Alex Livinalli. “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” directed by Ryan Coogler and produced by Kevin Feige and Nate Moore, opens in theaters November 2022.
