Inspiring photos feature kids cosplaying as 'Black Panther' heroes and villains
We’re only a few days away from the debut of Black Panther, Marvel’s latest surefire superhero blockbuster, and the combination of well-received trailers and TV spots, as well as early critical raves, have anticipation at a fever pitch (it’s still our No. 1 most anticipated film of the year). Such excitement isn’t confined to comic-book fanboys, either; it’s spreading to various corners of the art world, as evidenced by a new photo series featuring kids posing as the heroes and villains of Ryan Coogler’s Marvel Cinematic Universe installment. And so far, reaction to these pics has been nothing short of ecstatic.
Commissioned by U.K. talent and casting agency Looks Like Me, London-based photographer Asiko has created a stunning assortment of photos featuring boys and girls posing as Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa (aka Black Panther), Michael B. Jordan’s Erik Killmonger, and more — all of which will be on display at the British Film Institute this Friday, Feb. 16, as part of a Black Panther opening-night celebration. The entire collection can be seen on Looks Like Me’s Instagram page, including the following standouts:
A post shared by lookslikemeuk (@lookslikemeuk) on Feb 7, 2018 at 6:43am PST
A post shared by lookslikemeuk (@lookslikemeuk) on Feb 7, 2018 at 6:40am PST
A post shared by lookslikemeuk (@lookslikemeuk) on Feb 6, 2018 at 4:04pm PST
As Asiko himself wrote in an Instagram post:
“As a kid who read comics black panther was one of the very few black superheroes I came across.
For a child it is a beautiful thing to see yourself represented in a positive light in pop culture. What is also great is that it’s a hero steeped in culture and heritage and not drug deals or street thugging (is thugging a word?). @ryancoogler and @marvelstudios have made a film that is part of the positive narrative changing voice of Africa and the black race and boy does it matter.
I can imagine a child being empowered watching @blackpanther thinking “That superhero looks just like me.”
Social media reaction to these portraits has, unsurprisingly, been effusive.
I love these #BlackPanther posters recreated by young Kings + Queens. This first one is of T'Challa + it's amazing. pic.twitter.com/xMQOfHLSjQ
— COMMON (@common) February 12, 2018
These awesome kids recreated the Black Panther character posters! This is amazing. Photos taken by @asiko_artist! #BlackPanther #representationmatters pic.twitter.com/U9iUZ5Zw6f
— Geeks of Color (@GeeksOfColor) February 9, 2018
These kids recreated Black Panther characters and these photos are ICONIC ✨✨✨ pic.twitter.com/8uWdP1VkJG
— theGrio.com (@theGrio) February 9, 2018
Black Panther arrives in theaters on Feb. 16.
