‘Black Panther’ Director Reveals The Fate Of Erik Killmonger’s Mother

Ryan Coogler revealed what exactly happened to Erik Killmonger's mother in Black Panther on the Blu-ray's director commentary track.

Black Panther Chadwick Boseman Marvel Studios

Marvel’s Black Panther is out for home release soon, and included are bonus features that have been added in for the fans, including a commentary with director Ryan Coogler. In it, Coogler reveals the fate of Erik Killmonger’s (Michael B. Jordan) mother:

“The idea was when you see those guys talking over the paperwork in the beginning of the film, they’re talking about a way to break her out of jail … 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 tragedy frames the opening scene in a much more personal light, giving Killmonger’s quest for revenge against his uncle more depth as audiences see the forgotten son of Wakanda attempt to return to the land of his ancestors and claim what he believes to be his rightful throne.

This also makes his iconic “Hey, Auntie,” line a little darker, as the bloodthirsty orphan smiles at the wife of the man who not only killed his father, but also inadvertently let his mother die.

Directed by Ryan Coogler, Black Panther stars Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman, Daniel Kaluuya, Angela Bassett, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, Florence Kasumba, Sterling K. Brown, Forest Whitaker, Andy Serkis and John Kani.

“Black Panther” follows T’Challa who, after the events of “Captain America: Civil War,” returns home to the isolated, technologically advanced African nation of Wakanda to take his place as King. However, when an old enemy reappears on the radar, T’Challa’s mettle as King and Black Panther is tested when he is drawn into a conflict that puts the entire fate of Wakanda and the world at risk.

Black Panther will be available on Digital HD and 4K UHD on May 8, followed by the Blu-Ray release on May 15.

Source: Marvel