Courtesy of the ATLWOOD 411 Twitter account (@ATLWOOD411), below you’ll find two images of what some are saying are likely photos of Wakanda, in Atlanta – sets doubling for Marvel superhero Black Panther’s fictional kingdom "somewhere in Africa." The ATLWOOD 411 Twitter account says that they are set-ups for the next "Captain America" movie, at the old Norfolk Southern building in Atlanta. And, as we know, principal photography began at Pinewood Studios in Atlanta, Georgia on “Captain America: Civil War,” the third installment of its franchise, last week; and we also know that Black Panther will make his debut appearance in that movie, before his own film (starring Chadwick Boseman), which is set for release in 2018 ("Captain America: Civil War" will be out on May 6, 2016)..
Comicbookmovie.com also notes that there have been casting calls posted in the last couple of weeks, requesting many extras for "African Market scenes" that were to be filmed this week. So I suppose one can understand why, to some, what we see in these images are supposed to be sets doubling for Wakanda.
However, I’m no comic book/Marvel/Black Panther expert, but, from what I’ve read and heard, isn’t Wakanda supposed to be a super high-tech nation, although hidden inside of a jungle, which these images certainly don’t suggest? I imagined Wakanda would look like something closer to Asgard in the Thor movies. Or are there slums of Wakanda that I just don’t know about? Although these may also be images of some other location entirely that have nothing to do with Black Panther. It is telling that, here in the USA (and elsewhere outside the continent), often "Africa" is immediately identified with anything decrepit.
Quoting a commenter on Comicbookmovie.com: "Wakanda isn’t some slum located in the bowels of Africa. It’s a high-tech nation hidden away in the jungle. Marvel would be stupid (they aren’t stupid) if they turned Wakanda into some ‘Slum-dog Millionaire" type location where everyone sleeps in piles of dust and trash. Knowing Marvel, they won’t do that. They’ll give us the Wakanda from the comics, the one comprised of citadels and other large structures. The one that looks like it came from the year 2525, not 2016."
I’ll defer to you folks who are experts to educate the rest of us…
“Captain America: Civil War” is directed by Anthony and Joe Russo from a screenplay by Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely. The film returns Chris Evans as the iconic superhero Steve Rogers/Captain America, and will also feature Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man, Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier, Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson/Falcon, Paul Bettany as The Vision, Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton/Hawkeye, Don Cheadle as Jim Rhodes/War Machine and Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch.
“Captain America: Civil War” picks up where “Avengers: Age of Ultron” left off, as Steve Rogers leads the new team of Avengers in their continued efforts to safeguard humanity. After another international incident involving the Avengers results in collateral damage, political pressure mounts to install a system of accountability and a governing body to determine when to enlist the services of the team. The new status quo fractures the Avengers while they try to protect the world from a new and nefarious villain.
Who that villain will be, how Black Panther’s appearance will matter, and what scenes exactly are being shot in the below so-called "African Market" set, we don’t know yet… But Marvel universe experts who are familiar with any comic book story intersections between Captain America and Black Panther may have some ideas…
