Nigerian Comic Writer Inks Deal With ‘Black Panther’ Producer

Nigerian award-winning comic writer, Nnedi Okorafor, has bagged a deal with Marvel Comics to write a book for Black Panther character ‘Shuri’.

The Shuri character played by British actress Letitia Wright was the younger sister of lead character T’Challa. She gained global acceptance and fan base after the release of the blockbuster ‘Black Panther’.

Okorafor who had earlier written a comic book titled ‘Black Panther: Long Live the King and Wakanda Forever’, took to her Twitter handle to share the news.

She wrote @Nnedi, “Announcement: I am writing Shuri. Black Panther’s sister is getting her own comic book series and it is happening so so soon.”

Her tweet confirmed the news already shared by Marvel Comics on their official website where they wrote, “SHURI will bring a domestic conflict to the princess’s table.

“While she is the most at home in her lab, working to keep her country at the forefront of science and technology, Wakanda is missing its leader.

“Without T’Challa around, Shuri will have to decide if she will forego her own passions in order to stand up for her nation,” Marvel wrote.

Speaking further on the upcoming series, Okorafor told Bustle (A US magazine), “Shuri is an African young woman of genius level intelligence.

“She is obsessed with technology and has traveled spiritually so far into the past that she’s seen Wakanda before it was Wakanda.

“The Ancestors call her Ancient Future. And she’s super ambitious. What do I love about her? All that and more,” Okorafor said.

Marvel further disclosed that Okorafor, who is an acclaimed Afrofuturist writer, will write the series with art from Leonardo Romero.

Okorafor’s works are usually multi layered stories centered around women and girls; drawing inspiration from her Nigerian roots.

Her first adult novel, ”Who Fears Death”, won the 2011 World Fantasy Award for Best Novel, It was a 2011 Tiptree Honor Book and was nominated for the 2010 Nebula Award, She also won the Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa.

Meanwhile In July 2017, Okorafor announced via Twitter that ”Who Fears Death” was picked by HBO to become a TV series.

Novelist and ‘Game of Thrones’ producer, George R.R. Martin, is on the project as an executive producer.