Actor Josué Maychi showed up with his mother and father at the Mexico City opening for “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” wearing traditional Yucatecan clothing.
“It’s very important to me to honor my Mayan roots and great to see its representation in a movie like this,” said Maychi, who is from of Hopelchén, Campeche.
The actor shares the screen with the likes of Michael B. Jordan, Letitia Wright, and Angela Bassett, who are already well-established in Marvel’s Cinematic Universe, or MCU as it is commonly known.
Other performers of Maya origin are also contributing to the film including María Mercedes Coroy of Guatemala, Guadalupe de Jesús Chan Poot of Tabí Yucatán, and the rappers Yaalen K’uy and Pat bor of Quintana Roo.
“I am so grateful and proud right now. What a long road it has been,” said the actress of Guatemalan origin, María Mercedes Coroy
Earlier: Yucatán’s nascent film industry is waiting for its closeup
The main antagonist of the film, Namor, is played by Tenoch Huerta, a renowned actor from Mexico State.
Though representation of Maya people and culture has historically been lacking, several recent productions are aiming to change that.
Despite the common belief that the Maya disappeared centuries ago, eight million people of Mayan descent currently inhabit southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, and Honduras.
The film “Wakanda Forever” has already opened in most markets including Mexico and the United States and continues the saga of the Black Panther.
