Michaela Coel was warmly welcomed into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and now she's talking about what drew her to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Michaela explained how a key factor in her decision to accept the part was her character's sexuality in her Vogue cover story from November.
In the Dora Milaje, Michaela plays Aneka, a captain and combat instructor. Aneka falls in love with Florence Kasumba's character Ayo, a fellow Dora Milaje warrior, in the comic books. Tension among the group eventually results from their prohibited relationship.
"That made me want the job," "said Michaela. "My character's sexual orientation is queer. "I like that, I want to show Ghana that," I said.
Michaela especially named Ghana because of its harsh anti-gay legislation as well as the fact that she is of Ghanaian origin. Most recently, a bill that, if passed, would criminalise all forms of LGBTQ+ advocacy was sent to Parliament.
'Oh, it's alright, it's just politics,' people say. But when politics has an impact on how people get to live their daily lives, I don't think it's just politics.
As a result, Michaela said, "I felt it was vital for me to step in and take on that responsibility because I knew Ghanaians will come just by my being Ghanaian."
This comes as no surprise to me at all because Michaela has a track record of standing up for justice both on and off camera. Be sure to read the complete Vogue interview with the Emmy Award-winning star to discover more about her.
