Michaela Coel says she joined Black Panther to tell LGBTQ+ story: ‘My character is queer’

Michaela Coel has confirmed her Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is queer, and that the chance to tell an LGBTQ+ story is why she joined the Marvel film.

News Coel would be joining the Black Panther sequel broke in July 2021, and a year later Marvel confirmed she would be playing Aneka, a combat instructor in the Dora Milaje – an all-female warrior group.

In the comics Aneka is queer and has an enemies to lovers romance with fellow warrior Ayo (Florence Kasumba in the films) which stirs things up among the ranks.