When Marvel Studios’ Black Panther debuted on the silver screen in 2018, it quickly became a billion-dollar global sensation. Besides being one of the highest-grossing films of all time, the blockbuster catapulted conversations around Black beauty, pride, and joy into the mainstream.
And now, Marvel Studios’ Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the long-awaited follow-up, has finally hit theaters. The new movie is as much of a celebration of Blackness as its predecessor, and once again, it shines its bright Hollywood spotlight on a rich range of hairstyles, sported by the film’s strong leads.
From the beginning, the message of Black Panther has been “Black hair is beautiful,” shares Camille Friend, the lead hairstylist of both Black Panther films.
“It doesn’t matter if you wear your hair straight, curly, or natural, or if you’re wearing a wig, hairpiece, or braids — you should be empowered to wear whatever hairstyle you choose to wear,” she says. “And that’s what we’ve done in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. We showcase so many different hairstyles for beautiful black women.”
Friend wants anyone watching Marvel Studios’ Black Panther: Wakanda Forever to get inspired to embrace their natural hair after watching other fierce women on screen rock theirs.
“A lot of Black women don’t have a healthy relationship with their hair as they grow up,” says Friend. “As I evolved, I learned that other women can relate. Culturally, we all have things about our hair, our looks, and our features that we don’t like, but it’s all about learning how to embrace yourself and look in the mirror, saying, ‘I’m good just as I am.’”
One way to boost your own hair-lationship is to figure out which products work best with your hair type. Our friends at P&G collaborated with Marvel Studios’ Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Friend to spread the word about two haircare collections designed for Black hair by Black women and scientists, respectively: My Black is Beautiful and Gold Series by Pantene.
“We believe that Black joy and hair are intertwined. Our hair is such an important part of our personality and we define a lot of who we are through our hair,” says Lela Coffey, vice president of hair care and multicultural hair at P&G. “My Black is Beautiful is all about celebrating and enabling women to have that Black joy, while Gold Series is unique in the hair care space because it’s created by Black scientists who design products that specifically work well on textured hair types.”
“To have Gold Series being developed by Black scientists and Black chemists is so important to me, as someone who thinks about things most people rarely think about when they put a hair product in their hands,” says Friend. “P&G is creating a beautiful product experience for Black men and women.”
“Partnering with a movie like Black Panther: Wakanda Forever — a cultural moment that brings Black pride, science, and culture all together — is such a match made in heaven for us,” says Coffey.
And although we don’t see the incomparable Chadwick Boseman reprise his leading role as T’Challa, (the actor passed away to colon cancer in 2020), the sequel promises to uplift spirits and showcase the power behind rallying together and believing in yourself — even when it feels impossible.
“There’s something about the energy in the movie — it’s about family, it’s about love, it’s about fighting for what’s right, doing the right thing, and being honorable,” says Friend. “There are all qualities that we want to instill in all people.”
“Marvel Studios has really created something in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever that I think will live on,” says Coffey. “I’m very proud and excited that our brands have a role to play in that.”
