Ryan Coogler Explains What Happened to Erik Killmonger's Mom in 'Black Panther'
The 'Black Panther' villain also grew up motherless.
One of the biggest twists in Black Panther is that the film's antagonist, Erik Killmonger, is actually the son of Wakandan prince, N'Jobu, and an American woman.
Killmonger's mom is never seen on screen causing viewers to speculate who (and where) she could be. In the commentary for Black Panther's Blu-ray release, director Ryan Coogler, shared details on her.
"The idea was when you see those guys [N'Jobu and Zuri] talking over the paperwork in the beginning of the film, they're talking about a way to break her out of jail," Coogler said, according to The Hollywood Reporter. "The idea was they never got her out, and she passed away in prison, so Killmonger didn't come up with a mom either."
This adds more weight to Killmonger's final words before he dies in Wakanda. "Bury me in the ocean, with my ancestors that jumped from the ships, because they knew death was better than bondage," he tells T'Challa after the Wakandan King offers to get the country's doctors to heal him. Also because this is a comic book story, there's still a possibility for Killmonger's mom to be alive.
This isn't the only new revelation to come from Black Panther's arsenal. Marvel Studios also released several deleted scenes including an interaction between W'Kabi and Okoye that confirms they were married.
Black Panther will be available digitally on May 8, and then on Blu-ray, 4K, and DVD May 15.