Matchless Gurira strikes gold

02 Jul, 2017 - 00:07 0 Views
Matchless Gurira strikes gold NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 03: Danai Gurira attends the Tisch School Gala 2017 at Cipriani 42nd Street on April 3, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Jared Siskin/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)

The Sunday Mail

Tinashe Kusema —
IT is official, Danai Gurira is now, without doubt, Zimbabwe’s biggest film export to the world.

With the career of Tongayi Chirisa currently sedated – after a handful of cameos on both the big and small screen – the 39-year-old Zimbabwean actress has clearly surpassed her fellow thespian, only seeing him in her rear-view mirror. Gurira has begun what is expected to be an eventful 12 months with the release of “All Eyez on Me”, last month, the hugely anticipated biopic that chronicles the life and death of late American rapper Tupac Shakur. The film was released on June 16, with Gurira starring as the late rapper’s mother Afeni Shakur.

I am yet to get my hands on a copy of the film but the response has not been that encouraging with the film standing at 19 percent from 58 reviews, on the Rotten Tomatoes website. Gurira recently wrapped up shooting her second project, Marvel’s “Black Panther”, with the film’s trailer having been released last month as well. In the scenes she appears, Gurira totally looks fierce. She stars as Okeye, a member of the Dora Milaje, who are Wakanda women bred as potential brides for the king but used more as bodyguards for T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman).

However, the biggest news coming from Gurira’s camp is that following the release of “Black Panther” on February 16, 2018, she is expected to reprise her role in arguably the biggest release ever “Avengers-Infinity War”.

Let’s take a minute and let that sink in; Gurira will be in the “Avengers-Infinity War” movie next year.

Now, I am not the ideal person to help explain how big a deal that is, given my total admiration for the Marvel Cinematic Universe and all its releases, good or bad. I have never tried to hide that fact.

While the development is yet to be officially announced by the MCU studios or producer Paul Feige, Deadline broke the news sometime last month.

“Deadline reports ‘The Walking Dead’ actress Danai Gurira will reprise her ‘Black Panther’ role as Okoye, leader of the elite bodyguards the Dora Milaj, joining her ‘Black Panther’ co-stars Chadwick Boseman, Winston Duke and Letitia Wright,” read a snippet of the article.

“Recent social media posts by Boseman and directors Anthony and Joe Russo suggest a few key scenes in ‘Infinity War’ will be set in Wakanda, which likely means we can expect more ‘Black Panther’ actors to be announced in the coming weeks,” it went on to say.

Now given the MCU’s all-boys club tendencies and poor treatment of its female characters, it remains to be seen how big a role Gurira will have to play in the movie, but that should not stop us from celebrating such a huge catch.

The love-interests of titular characters, which Gurira is expected to play in both “Black Panther” and “Avengers- Infinity War” have been the biggest hit.

She could see herself join the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow (Iron man), Natalie Portman (Thor), Hayley Atwell (Captain America), Abby Ryder Fortson (Antman), Rachael McAdams (Doctor Strange) and Emily Van Camp.

For a more drastic example, check out Liv Tyler from 2008’s “The Incredible Hulk, you will be hard pressed to try and remember the character Elizabeth Ross. To date, the only character they have failed to ruin is Scarlet Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow. The fact that they continuously deny the character a starring role in their own movie is both a travesty and testimony of the MCU’s low view on female characters.

Back to Gurira! Whether she gets ample time to shine in both the “Black Panther” and the “Avengers-Infinity Wars” movies, should not stop the Zimbabwean populous from watching the movies with joy and pride.

“Avengers-Infinity Wars” began shooting in January and is the culmination of a decade’s worth of storytelling, movies and build. The film takes up four years after the events of “Captain America-Civil War” with earth’s mightiest heroes scattered around the world and a group divided.

Unfortunately, the gang is forced to put aside their differences and join forces with the “Guardians of the Galaxy”, when evil titan Thanos (Josh Brolin) comes in search of the Infinity stones.

The stones are a powerful energy that when combined will give him the power to change and destroy reality. The movie premieres on May 4, 2018.

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