Fans will be able to interact with Black Panther at Disney California Adventure Park next year, with T'Challa being the newest character available for encounters. This follows the news that Disney Parks wants more Marvel Cinematic Universe attractions, building on the success of the game-changing Marvel rollercoaster Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout.
Indeed, Disney’s relatively recent purchases of Marvel and Star Wars are now beginning to have significant presences at Disney Parks around the globe. Walt Disney World is getting an immersive Star Wars resort, and Disney California Adventure will get a Marvel-themed land. It makes total sense, then, that Disney California Adventure will soon feature T’Challa/Black Panther, who is becoming a major player in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
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This news comes directly from the Disney Parks website, which makes it clear that, “for a limited time, Disney California Adventure park guests will have the opportunity to encounter the king of Wakanda himself, Black Panther.” This encounter experience is expected to tie in with the February 2018 release of the Black Panther solo film. The announcement came with an image, which showcases a movie-quality costume:
It’s easy to see the worth of this new encounter. Disney has this big new Marvel movie coming out, and although Chadwick Boseman debuted in his dual roles in Captain America: Civil War, Black Panther still isn’t a household name superhero. Featuring Black Panther at Disney California Adventure is one way to spread the word about the character. It’s bound to drum up some interest in kids and families, who may not be as aware of Black Panther as the MCU’s super-fans are.
However, there is another level on which this news resonates. It’s easy to assume that this is just a corporate ploy from Disney intended to encourage some word-of-mouth hype for Black Panther. But even if it is, it could have a really positive effect. Representation is important in all areas of society, and African-American children who visit the park will now have an encounter hero that they can relate to on a physical level.
That promotional image from Disney may have been staged, but it doesn’t seem outlandish to assume that kids in real life will be just as happy to interact with Black Panther as the child in the photo was. The only downside to this news is that the Black Panther encounter won’t be a permanent feature.
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Source: Disney Parks
