So let me just start out by saying when I saw the flyer below I immediately felt like a kid in a candy store and they had all of my favorites right at the front door (yeah pretty excited)!! As a Black woman who studies and is a comic book fan this is quite significant and major! Even with the success of the 2018 Black Panther blockbuster (R.I.P. Chadwick Boseman) and I would even add the Dora Milaje and Shuri on the big screen, there is still a need for regular and consistent images in film and television (particularly in the comic book realm). Thus, this (re)introduction of Monica Rambeau into the WandaVision series on Disney+ is a major move!! Monica Rambeau is a force to be reckoned with in the comic book universe (at one point she helmed the title of Captain Marvel)!! And the fact that actress Teyonah Parris is in the role gave it extra cool points!! Glad to see that she is getting some just due as an actress, Ms. Parris got talent!
As you will see throughout my posts, I am very much an advocate for more diverse representation of Black women within the comic book medium. It is crucial that comics display a continuous diversity of characters!! Little Black girls and boys should not have to wait until they are adults before they see someone that looks like them within pop culture (and honestly society as a whole).
Now even in my excitement with everything about the series, I do have my reservations as I am hoping that Rambeau’s character (in particular) will not be surface-level and that she will have a long-lasting impact!! There is SO much potential and SO many opportunities with this character…
WandaVision premieres its first two episodes on today January 15th via Disney+!!
~Dr. G.
Black Future Feminist 