mikkeneko:

phantomchick:

#Black Panther #erik killmonger
#this never fails to make me laugh #it’s such a good delivery #I think one of the things that make erik really good as an antagonist is he genuinely had those cool and kinda funny moments #where you sort of shared in how satisfied he must feel #like the casual ‘hey auntie’ #even if you’re worried about the characters he’s threatening #you get that ‘wow i bet that was satisfying’ feel #at least i did #i couldn’t help but feel that connection #and when you’re sharing in an antagonist’s satisfaction #while still liking the characters they are up against  #you know they’re well written

I think this is a great example of how well Erik manages to control the context of whatever scene he’s in. The first time he turns up in the palace, T’Challa tries to shut down his challenge to the throne by referring to him as an American chaos operative, but Erik turns it around on him by announcing his Wakandan name and heritage in xhosa, recontextualizing himself as a rightful Wakandan challenger.

Here T’Challa is taking him at his word, addressing him as a fellow Wakandan royal whom he can legitimately challenge for the throne, and Erik turns it around on him again  by responding and identifying as an American chaos operative, who feels no obligation to respect Wakandan traditions.