Katja Rahlwes/ELLE
It's fitting that actresses Angela Bassett, Danai Gurira and Lupita Nyong'o are being honored in ELLE's annual Women in Hollywood issue (on stands Oct. 23). After all, no other movie this year has rivaled the cultural and financial influence of Black Panther, directed by Ryan Coogler.The blockbuster is set in a "Marvel universe that is unapologetically black," Nyong'o notes. While it's as much about King T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman) and his ascent to the throne—and how his cousin Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) tries to take over the nation of Wakanda in the process—it also illustrates how integral and how powerful women are in their society. "In our story," Nyong'o says, "the emphasis is on many different women holding their own space."
Overall, Gurira appreciated how Wakanda, as a society, "was celebratory of everyone equally."
"You see that in my character," Gurira adds. "She's able to excel."
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