It was pretty much a given that Chadwick Boseman would reference Black Panther when the actor hosted Saturday Night Live last night. But how? And when? Killmonger’s dad Sterling K. Brown already beat him to the punch with a Black Panther-meets-the-ancestors skit, but surely the actual T’Challa actor would not be upstaged. And indeed he was not.
In the first Panther-themed bit of the night, Boseman appeared as T’Challa on Black Jeopardy, demonstrating that while it might take a moment or two for a technologically advanced African king to fully get into the African-American experience, his keen grasp of logic would quickly get acclimated and help him realize just how bad a neighbor’s potato salad could potentially be. Also, he showed Chris Redd just how you actually play Black Panther.
In the second Wakandan-themed skit of the night, Boseman plays a possibly unhinged fellow who helps us figure out exactly when it’s okay for non-black audience members to give the Wakanda salute. Hey, it is something you might have worried about, or maybe should have.
If you’re wondering why Black Panther might not be up to speed on particularly oblivious white guys, just remember that he hasn’t actually met Thor yet. Though at least the Norse god of absthunder wouldn’t likely mispronounce things as hideously as Pete Davidson and Beck Bennettt do.
Did Boseman do his on-camera royal blood proud? Does the heart-shaped herb confer superior recipe skills upon its consumer? Leave your thoughts below in Th’Comments.
Image: NBC