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Cape Town - Throughout the two-hour movie, T’Challa (played by Chad Boseman) and Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o) have viewers on the edge of their seats, wondering whether their passion for the fictional country of Wakanda and its people will rekindle their romance.
**Spoiler alert: if you haven’t watched Black Panther yet, turn back now! **
But in the Black Panther comics, the love story between T’Challa and Nakia plays out completely differently. In fact, there’s no love lost between the pair.
While they do start out as teenage lovers, it’s Nakia’s obsession with T’Challa and her jealousy of his ex-girlfriend Monica Lynne that makes their relationship go sour.
Nakia is eventually banished from Wakanda after her plans to murder Monica are revealed.
An archenemy of T’Challa captures Nakia and tortures her, but she’s saved by none other than Erik Killmonger, who nicknames her Malice (such an affectionate term of endearment, right?).
Together, they go after T'Challa and his female army, the Dora Milaje.
But, if you had your heart set on T’Challa ending up with a sassy, butt-kicking woman, you’re in luck – the comic book version of the superhero actually marries Storm.
Yip, that’s storm, of X-Men fame – played by Halle Berry in the movie versions.
Pop Sugar writes there’s a good chance Nakia’s dark side will be revealed in the yet-to-be-confirmed sequel (there’s talk of Marvel gearing up for a second instalment of the hugely successful movie).
In an interview with Buzzfeed, Lupita did hint at playing a villain…‘at some point’.
"I'd love to play a villain . . . at some point," she quipped.
But it turns out not even Lupita or Chad want their characters to be separated should there be a sequel.
"Are you trying to break up my relationship with Nakia?" Chad asked in an interview with Comic Book when he was questioned on T’Challa’s marriage to Storm.
"I'm not happy to talk about this, at all! I feel very territorial," Lupita joked. "That's my king!"
Whether the subsequent movie will mirror the comic books remains to be seen.
Director Ryan Coogler has said he wouldn’t mind adding Storm to the mix at a later stage. Either way, we might want to tone down our excitement for a T’Challa and Nakia romance.
Sources: Comic Book, Pop Sugar, Buzzfeed, womanwriteaboutcomics.com
(Photo: Disney)
