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Eyes of Wakanda
2025 Marvel Studios animated miniseries From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Eyes of Wakanda is an American animated anthology television miniseries created by Todd Harris for the streaming service Disney+, based on the Marvel Comics country Wakanda. It is the 15th television series in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) from Marvel Studios and is produced by Marvel Studios Animation with Proximity Media, sharing continuity with the films of the franchise. It follows the Hatut Zaraze, Wakandan warriors who carry out dangerous missions throughout history. Harris served as showrunner and director.
The series stars Winnie Harlow, Cress Williams, Larry Herron, Adam Gold, Jacques Colimon, Jona Xiao, Zeke Alton, and Steve Toussaint. In February 2021, an overall deal between Disney and Ryan Coogler's Proximity Media was announced. An animated series about Wakanda was in development by March 2023, and was officially announced as Eyes of Wakanda that December. Harris's involvement was revealed in March 2024. Unlike Marvel Animation's other series to that point, Eyes of Wakanda is set in the MCU's "Sacred Timeline" and has greater connections with the franchise's films. Animation for the series is provided by Axis Animation in a hand-painted style inspired by contemporary African-American artists such as Ernie Barnes, as well as illustrator Dean Cornwell.
Eyes of Wakanda premiered on Disney+ on August 1, 2025, with all four episodes released simultaneously. It is the first series of Phase Six of the MCU.
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Premise
The Hatut Zaraze, Wakandan warriors, carry out dangerous missions around the world to retrieve vibranium artifacts throughout history.[2]
Cast and characters
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Main
- Winnie Harlow as Noni: A disgraced former member of the Dora Milaje, Wakanda's all-female special forces, who goes on a special mission to Minoan Crete in 1260 BC.[1] Lynn Whitfield voices an older Noni.[3]
- Cress Williams as Nkati / The Lion:
A former Wakandan general turned warlord and pirate. By 1260 BC, he has managed to use the advanced technology he stole from the country to found his own tyrannical kingdom called the Pride of the Lion.[1][4] - Larry Herron as B'Kai / Memnon: A Hatut Zaraze operative serving undercover in Troy in 1200 BC[3]
- Adam Gold as Achilles: The Greek hero of the Trojan War and commander of the Myrmidons[5]
- Jacques Colimon as Basha: A member of the Hatut Zaraze who travels to China in 1400 AD to recover a Wakandan artifact[3]
- Jona Xiao as Jorani / Iron Fist: A masked warrior from K'un-Lun and bearer of the Iron Fist mantle in 1400 AD who draws her powers from the molten heart of the immortal dragon Shou-Lao, whom she defeated[6]
- Zeke Alton as Tafari: A Wakandan prince and Hatut Zaraze operative in 1896 AD[3]
- Steve Toussaint as Kuda:
A member of the Hatut Zaraze who oversees Tafari's first mission in the field.[3] Showrunner Todd Harris called the character "authoritative" with "heart and soul" whose strong devotion to the cause leads to his principles sometimes outweighing his duty.[7]
Guests
- Patricia Belcher as Akeya: The eldest leader of the Dora Milaje and Noni's superior[3]
- Jason Konopisos as Ferro: A Myrmidon soldier who doubts Memnon's allegiance to Achilles[3]
- Kiff VandenHeuvel as Odysseus: The Greek king of Ithaca during the Trojan War[5]
- Yerman Gur as Paris: The prince of Troy during the Trojan War[5]
- Joanna Kalafatis as Helen of Troy: Paris's wife who possesses a Wakandan artifact[5]
- Isaac Robinson-Smith as Ebo: The captain of the Hatut Zaraze who oversees Basha's mission[3]
- Gary Anthony Williams as Rakim: The great counselor of the Hatut Zaraze and Basha and Ebo's superior[3]
- Anika Noni Rose as Black Panther: A time-traveling queen of Wakanda from 500 years into the future[3]
- Debra Wilson as a Dora Milaje general in 1896 AD[3]
Additionally, the characters Uatu / Watcher and N'Jadaka / Erik "Killmonger" Stevens make non-speaking cameo appearances in the series.[3][8]
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Episodes
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Production
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Development
In February 2021, Ryan Coogler—writer and director of the Marvel Studios films Black Panther (2018) and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)—announced a five-year television deal between his company Proximity Media and The Walt Disney Company. The deal included the development of a drama series for the streaming service Disney+ based on the fictional country of Wakanda, the setting of the Black Panther films. Coogler was developing the series with Marvel Studios' Kevin Feige, Louis D'Esposito, and Victoria Alonso.[9][10] Richard Newby at The Hollywood Reporter said the series could expand the mythos of Wakanda while also paying tribute to Chadwick Boseman, who portrayed T'Challa / Black Panther in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) until his death in August 2020. Newby suggested that the series could further explore the character M'Baku and the Jabari Tribe; N'Jadaka / Erik "Killmonger" Stevens's mercenary past; T'Challa's father T'Chaka and his time as Black Panther; or the Dora Milaje, Wakanda's all-female special forces. Newby also noted several comic book characters that the series could introduce to the MCU: Bashenga, the first Black Panther; teenage activist Queen Divine Justice who joins the Dora Milaje; or NYPD officer Kasper Cole / White Tiger, who also takes on the mantle of Black Panther.[11]
Proximity Media was developing several series set in Wakanda by November 2022.[12] In March 2023, journalist Jeff Sneider reported that Coogler and Disney were developing an animated series with the tentative title The Golden City, referring to the Wakandan capital city Birnin Zana;[13][14] a production listing gave Golden City as the working title for the initial Wakanda-set drama series.[14][15] The following month, Marvel Studios executive Nate Moore said they had discussed multiple ideas for featuring Black Panther characters in Disney+ series but they were wary about detracting from the "cinematic experience" of the franchise.[16] In December, Marvel Studios Animation head Brad Winderbaum officially announced the animated series Eyes of Wakanda as part of a sizzle reel of the studio's upcoming series. It was revealed to focus on the stories of different Wakandan warriors throughout history.[17] Coogler and Proximity Media were confirmed to be involved,[18][19] and a showrunner was working on the series by then.[20] Commentators discussed whether it was the same as a previously reported series focused on the Dora Milaje character Okoye.[21] Stephanie Holland at The Root compared the series' premise to the animated Star Wars series Tales of the Jedi (2022), which similarly follows different characters at different times.[22]
Former Marvel Studios storyboard artist Todd Harris was revealed in January 2024 to have pitched the series to Marvel and Coogler.[19] He originally conceived the story while doing storyboard work for the MCU film Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and was introduced to Coogler, who was in production on Black Panther at the time.[23] Harris looked to combine "the interconnectivity of Marvel with the interconnectivity of history along with the interconnectivity of the human story" in the series,[7] and hoped to have it release as an "accompanying piece" to Black Panther given Marvel Studios had yet to form its animation studio. Once Marvel Studios Animation was formed, they approached Harris about proceeding with the idea.[23] Later in 2024, Winderbaum said Harris created and directed the series,[24][25] and he was confirmed to be the showrunner in January 2025.[26] Harris described Eyes of Wakanda as "anthology adjacent" given each short story in each time period form a larger, continuous narrative.[7] Harris was also an executive producer alongside Coogler, Winderbaum, Feige, D'Esposito, Zinzi Coogler, Sev Ohanian, Kalia King, and Dana Vasquez-Eberhardt.[2] Marvel Studios reportedly spent nearly $20 million between June 2022 and June 2023 on an animated series that was believed to be Eyes of Wakanda.[27] Each episode is 30 minutes.[1]
Writing
Geoffrey Thorne, who worked as a writer on the animated series Ultimate Spider-Man (2012–2017) and served as showrunner on the fifth season of the animated series Avengers Assemble (2013–2019), was the first writer to join the project.[23] Marc Bernardin, who worked as a writer on the video game Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra (2026), wrote two episodes by December 2023. He worked on them for nine months during the COVID-19 pandemic.[28] Matthew Chauncey also wrote for the series after doing so for the Marvel Studios series What If...? (2021–2024) and Ms. Marvel (2022).[29]: 7 [better source needed]
Eyes of Wakanda follows the Hatut Zaraze, Wakandan warriors who travel the world throughout history to retrieve dangerous vibranium artifacts.[2] It is centered on the legacy of the Black Panther as that mantle is passed down over generations,[30] and on the idea that Wakanda is "untethered by expansion" and hidden from the rest of the world. Harris said the Hatut Zaraze were "Wakanda's CIA" whose loyalty is tested on their missions,[26] calling the series a "giant spy-espionage" that spans time.[7] Eyes of Wakanda is set in several past time periods, with its respective episodes taking place in 1260 BC Crete during the Bronze Age, 1200 BC during the Trojan War, 1400 AD China at the start of the Ming dynasty, and 1896 AD Ethiopia during the First Italo-Ethiopian War.[31][6][32] Coogler was drawn to the Sea Peoples, a group who existed around 1200 BC and "raided everybody", which allowed Harris and the writers to form the premise of imagining if they had been led by Wakandans with their technology and tactics and "what kind of disruptive force would they be in this era".[23]
The series is set in the MCU's "Sacred Timeline" along with the films and live-action series, differentiating it from Marvel Animation's earlier series such as What If...? and Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man (2025–present), which are set in alternate universes from the main MCU.[24][25] The creative team worked back from the "existing framework" of the films when developing the series' stories.[33] Eyes of Wakanda focuses more on Wakandan principles rather than a distant relative of a known Wakandan character in the present.[7]
Casting and voice recording
Winnie Harlow, Cress Williams, Patricia Belcher, Larry Herron, Adam Gold, Lynn Whitfield, Jacques Colimon, Jona Xiao, Isaac Robinson-Smith, Gary Anthony Williams, Zeke Alton, Steve Toussaint, and Anika Noni Rose were revealed to have been cast in the series in November 2024. Cress voices a character called Nkati / The Lion.[34] In May 2025, Harlow was revealed to be voicing a character named Noni, while Harris said Rose played a "crucial role" in the series.[7] At the end of July, Xiao revealed she was voicing an incarnation of Iron Fist,[35] later identified as the original MCU character Jorani.[36]
Animation and design
Animation for the series is provided by Axis Animation, with Studio AKA animating a hand-drawn opening sequence.[1] It is presented in a widescreen aspect ratio.[23] Eyes of Wakanda features a hand-painted animation style inspired by contemporary African-American artists such as Ernie Barnes, as well as illustrator Dean Cornwell;[33][37] Barnes' style served as inspiration for the characters' exaggerated proportions in the series. The animators also looked at contemporary international art starring in the present and working backwards to find common themes that could translate to Wakandan influence throughout history.[1] Craig Ellliot, head of the art department, worked with artists around the world, including from Nigeria, South Africa, and Egypt.[23] Work on character designs and animatics occurred by the series' announcement in December 2023.[20] Harris said the ambitious series could only be made with animation due to the locations and time periods depicted, explaining that in animation "Egypt costs just as much as New York City, and the Moon costs just as much as Ohio".[26]
Music
Hesham Nazih composed the score for the series, after previously working on the Marvel Studios series Moon Knight (2022).[38] The soundtrack was released on August 8, 2025.[39]
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Marketing
Eyes of Wakanda was promoted by Coogler and Harris during Marvel Studios Animation's panel at the D23 convention in August 2024, where some footage was shown.[40][33][41] Footage from the series was included in a video that was released by Disney+ in October, announcing the release schedule for Marvel Television and Marvel Animation projects through the end of 2025.[42] More footage was included in a sizzle reel that was shown at Disney's upfront presentation in May 2025.[43]
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Release
Eyes of Wakanda premiered on Disney+ on August 1, 2025,[44] with all four episodes.[40] It was previously set for release in 2024,[45] and was scheduled for August 6 and then August 27 before the August 1 date was set.[42][46][44] The first episode was screened at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on June 9.[47][1] Eyes of Wakanda is the first series of Phase Six of the MCU.[48]
Reception
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reports a 91% approval rating based on 34 reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "Fleshing out the iconic MCU kingdom with concise stories and an attractive visual texture, Eyes of Wakanda is an accomplished animated addition to Black Panther lore."[49] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 72 out of 100 based on 10 critics, indicating "generally favorable".[50]
Dennis Perkins of The A.V. Club gave the series a B and described it as "a thought-provoking, entertaining glimpse past Wakanda's curtain. And its four brisk episodes are the right lengths for what is largely an exercise in retroactive world-building."[51]
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Notes
- As depicted in the film Black Panther (2018).
References
External links
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