Summary

Eyes of Wakanda resembles Netflix's Arcane, increasing pressure on Marvel to deliver a quality show.
Marvel's Black Panther brand is in need of a big win, and the series must explore Wakandan lore.
Ryan Coogler's involvement in Eyes of Wakanda makes him a valuable asset and key to the show's success.

Ryan Coogler's Eyes of Wakanda animated series coming soon to Disney Plus looks like a spin-off of Netflix's Arcane. That's fine, but given Arcane's exemplary critical and audience reception, that mimicry increases the size of some already enormous shoes for Marvel to fill. The next Coogler Wakanda project must follow the Black Panther films (although the second was unfortunately weaker than the first, by no fault of Ryan Coogler), with the executive producer hot off the heels of Sinners' smash success.

The Black Panther brand, on the other hand, has recently suffered a significant blow. EA is reportedly shuttering the developer responsible for the Black Panther game, a project which has since been canceled. Marvel's Black Panther is in need of a big win. With this in mind, the upcoming limited series event needs to thrillingly and consequentially explore Wakandan lore.

Eyes Of Wakanda' s Art Is Less Impressive Than Arcane's

While Eyes of Wakanda shares some likeness with Marvel's What If... Anthology, it looks more like Netflix's Arcane. Eyes of Wakanda looks stunningly similar to the League of Legends animated series, but not as well-crafted. It's puzzling to think so, as Disney is a monolith in animation and Black Panther is not a second-rate property. One might assume, especially with the limited nature of Coogler's new high-powered series, that Disney would pull out a few more stops on their reported four-episode season at 30 minutes per episode.

There's still a slim but present chance that Eyes of Wakanda' s trailer releases soon, blowing all production value concerns to high Ancestral Plane heaven. The greater likelihood, though, is that Eyes of Wakanda is exactly what it looks to be: an inspired but lesser version of Arcane's pioneering style.

Netflix's Arcane has received rave reviews, managing to defy odds by becoming more than the sum of its parts as a League of Legends-based cartoon. Eyes of Wakanda is interestingly establishing itself as an Arcane-based animation project in the world of Black Panther.

Could Eyes of Wakanda Redeem Marvel's Middling Streaming Slate?

Eyes of Wakanda can't just evoke Arcane visually. Marvel needs this show to be good, even excellent, if they want to recapture some of that initial interest in Disney Plus's Marvel streaming catalogue. To call Marvel's streaming slate hit-or-miss would almost be generous at this point. There have been a handful of highs, such as WandaVision and X-Men '9 7, and a lot of mid-to-low offerings that kind of came and went, like Modok and She-Hulk (although the latter was relevant in discourse through its divisive run).

There have also been a few puzzling disasters, like Marvel's Inhumans and Secret Invasion, with its culturally deaf use of blatant AI for its title sequences. Iron Fist was another swing-and-miss. But the streaming slate could end up finding some redemption in Eyes of Wakanda. The series showrunner Todd Harris told fans at Disney's D23 expo that viewers can expect to see an Iron Fist appearance, along with some "Marvel Gundam" action.

The series, described as 'anthology-adjacent,' is set to explore Wakanda across eras and ages, following various Wakandan operatives who seek to reclaim vibranium artifacts from various enemies of the state. The show's creators pointed out that Wakanda is a 10,000-year-old society that's denied the allure of over-expansion. It will be interesting to see what lens the series uses to explore the question of how and why they did so. It's crucial that Eyes of Wakanda nails this answer and grants merit to the show's conception. If the show is a mere thought experiment, it runs the risk of playing second fiddle to both What If... And Arcane before it.

Ryan Coogler Is Eyes Of Wakanda' s Most Valuable Asset

Ryan Coogler Chadwick Boseman Black Panther Wakanda Forever

With no T'Challa, Coogler could be the hero Disney Plus has been waiting for. Since Boseman's untimely passing prior to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the Wakanda-centric franchise has come across relatively aimless. Black Panther' s sequel, while emotionally resonant and action-packed, felt a bit makeshift despite glowing reviews. Since then, announcements for Disney Plus's Ironheart, Marvel's live-action series starring Riri Williams, and the animated Eyes of Wakanda, are gigantic question marks heading into Marvel's summer streaming slate — even as both projects share Coogler's involvement.

Ironheart's suit, following her Wakanda Forever introduction, was met with skepticism. The raised eyebrows largely regarded her nanotech suit, which seemed artificial and poorly conceptualized. Following Marvel's recent reveal of Ironheart' s suit for the upcoming series, fan reception has been more positive, especially given the clearer practicality of her armor.

dominique thorne as riri williams in marvel's ironheart, iron man suit — Marvel attempts to turn ironheart into iron man

Hopefully, Eyes of Wakanda will follow a similar trajectory as more footage is shared over the next few months. One thing is for sure as we near Marvel's Summer of Wakanda, which is Ryan Coogler's dependability as a visionary show runner.

The Chadwick Boseman-led first Black Panther film was Ryan Coogler's debut into the Marvel Universe and secured the MCU's first Best Picture nomination. Black Panther' s MCU legacy casts a daunting shadow following Boseman's passing. Coogler, following Sinners' box office dominance and technical feats, is a bankable asset for the assured quality of most anything he touches for Marvel. Coogler is a fan of the source material, which should inspire additional confidence that even with Boseman lost, it still can, in fact, be 'Wakanda Forever.'

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