Crafting the Diverse Universe of Marvel's 'Black Panther'

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Over the past decade, perhaps no two buzzwords have dominated the entertainment industry more than superheroes and diversity. The resurgence of Marvel's Avengers and DC's Justice League — characters that originally appealed primarily to teenage boys — has coincided with the long-overdue realization that not everyone in our world looks like Clark Kent or Peter Parker.

While Marvel Comics has recently added a biracial Spiderman and the Muslim Ms. Marvel Kamala Khan to its canon, the character of color who has received the most fanfare has been around for a while. Black Panther, leader of the independent African nation of Wakanda, was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in 1966, and now, over 50 years later, he's finally getting the attention he deserves.

In 2015, acclaimed journalist Ta-Nehisi Coates was tasked with overseeing the Black Panther universe and he's since brought on other comic book newcomers, including writer Roxane Gay and poet Yona Harvey, to shape this world.

The newest addition to this formidable group of artists is journalist Rembert Browne, who previously covered politics, race, and pop culture for Grantland and New York Magazine. Today marks the release of Black Panther: World of Wakanda #6, the first comic Browne has ever written. He joins The Takeaway to discuss why his work on the series was much more than just another checked diversity box for Marvel.