The Eyes of Wakanda creators scattered crumbs about their new series during the Marvel Animation Panel at Disney’s D23 event. This far ahead of the show’s Disney+ release, executive producer Ryan Coogler and creator Todd Harris don’t have much footage to share with fans. But they happily teased that the Iron Fist would join the animated world of Wakanda, hailing the character’s return to screen after a five-year absence. This reintroduction indicates a further melding of the MCU with the once-isolated Netflix Defenders canon.
Eyes of Wakanda and the Iron Fist at D23
At the D23 fan expo, Ryan Coogler and Todd Harris joined Brad Winderbaum, Marvel Studios’s Head of Animation, to promote Eyes of Wakanda. They dropped precious little information, but the clips and discussion point toward the significance of Wakanda’s history and status as a once “hidden city.” Other such places in the Marvel universe may share a connection with the Black Panther’s homeland, such as K’un-Lun, a city traditionally under the protection of Iron Fist Danny Rand.
In the past, graphic novels like the Iron Fist: Heart of the Dragon miniseries have linked the Iron Fist to Wakanda and Black Panther. It appears that Eyes of Wakanda will engage with that tradition during its four-episode run on Disney+.
Casting Iron Fist
Showrunners have not confirmed whether Finn Jones will lend his voice to the role. The actor led the two-season run of the Netflix Iron Fist adaptation and was part of the Defenders crossover event released under the same streaming platform. Jones embodied the most recent outing for Danny Rand, and he is perhaps the fans’ first port of call when envisioning the character.
At this stage, however, it is unclear whether the Iron Fist who will appear at the time of Eyes of Wakanda should be the same Danny Rand. Iron Fist is primarily a title bestowed upon the person who defends the hidden city of K’un-Lun, and it’s not exclusive to Rand, not even in current Marvel Comics continuity.
Animation Prestige for Disney+
Whoever winds up stepping into the role, fans can get excited about upcoming Marvel Animation releases. Despite ambivalence toward other MCU properties, Marvel’s animation arm has accumulated goodwill from fans, particularly with the stylish X-Men’97. Under Brad Winderbaum’s stewardship of the animation department, the show’s midseason heartstopper episode Remember It gained an Outstanding Animated Program nomination for the 2024 Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards.
It is a good sign, then, that as Winderbaum discussed Eyes of Wakanda in a talk with the Official Marvel Podcast, he sounded pleased with the plans Todd Harris and Bryan Coogler have outlined for the series. He explained that this show would connect directly to the MCU. “This is a story about Wakandan history,” he said. “It’s an awesome show. The action’s insane. The storytelling is fantastic. It’s about the history of Wakanda, but it also expands into the greater MCU at different time periods. So if you’re a fan of the movies, I think this show’s going to be a real treat.”
Final Thoughts
During a time of mixed results for MCU endeavors, Marvel’s animated efforts are soaring. The resounding success of X-Men ’97 earned a lot of confidence from viewers. In another arena, the Daredevil revival continues to gather momentum. Eyes of Wakanda, an animated series featuring the heretofore Netflix-exclusive Iron Fist, may have a chance to become quite a crowd-pleaser.
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