Ryan Coogler On The 'Dynamic' Female Energy Of Black Panther

On the eve of what is arguably the most monumental moment of his career — not to say, a record-breaking first weekend — Black Panther director Ryan Coogler couldn't be more humble.


It's been a two year journey to bring Marvel's first black superhero to the big screen, although for Coogler, T'Challa's (Chadwick Boseman) story is far more intimate than just another superhero origin story. "I certainly saw him as more king than superhero," Coogler told MTV News. "That's more interesting."


Picking up a week soon following the events of Captain America: Civil War, Black Panther finds T'Challa adapting to life as king and all the responsibilities that come with it, like protecting his people from the outdoors world and honoring his father T'Chaka's legacy. However it's also a story about identity and what occurs once your sense of self is compromised. So it's no surprise that in Coogler's interpretation of Black Panther, T'Challa is a character first, superhero second.


"In my advice, the superherodom of superhero movies isn't why you go to the movies," he mentioned. "I remember any time If I saw Iron Man, I loved the stuff that Robert Downey brought to Iron Man. I mean, I loved the scenes with the suit flying, nevertheless what I really went residence remembering was Downey and his journey." Identically, it's T'Challa's journey of self-discovery that Coogler hopes resonates most with crowds this weekend.


"We wanted to create ensure that we looked at what makes T'Challa different from other superheroes because there's going to be other superhero movies coming out," Coogler mentioned. "He's a African king, and his first responsibility is to his people."


A significant segment of T'Challa's journey as a king and Panther is surrounding himself with perfect, powerful females. From his little sister Shuri (Letitia Wright), a super-genius who spearheads the country's technological innovations, to Okoye (Danai Gurira), Wakanda's fiercest warrior and leader of the all-female king's guard, the Dora Milaje, the ladies of Wakanda rule.


The Dora Milaje


The Herculean task of @developing this feminist world of Wakanda was a far more imperative feat for the director, who invoked Ta-Nehisi Coates' recent Black Panther run as his inspiration.


"In several ways the girls of Wakanda are the most dynamic segment of the nation Coogler mentioned, emphasizing Shuri's specific importance to the story and to T'Challa himself.


"T'Challa is a character who is prosperous, smart, good-looking, and he's serious — because he has to be," he added. "He has all this weight on his shoulders. So it was wonderful to have a character who could humanize him and make him laugh and poke fun at him constantly... And to add to that, she's flat-out brilliant."


Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o) and Shuri take control.


Similar to T'Challa, Coogler also surrounded himself with plenty of perfect ladies in the making of Black Panther — cinematographer Rachel Morrison, costume designer Ruth E. Carter, and production designer Hannah Beachler, to name a couple of. Their input and artistry was invaluable to him at every step of production.


"They're incredible artists and having them on this film meant everything," he mentioned. Females had their hands all over the film."


And as soon as you look at Wakanda, marvel at the gorgeous vistas and the brightly colored textiles that hang in its marketplace, you could visualize their fingerprints.


Watch our full interview with Coogler, above, for more intel on the making of Black Panther, the director's creative partnership with Michael B. Jordan, and whether he'd be down to take on a Star Wars movie.