The world of Wakanda continues to grow in Marvel’s new animated series Eyes of Wakanda. Produced by Ryan Coogler and created by Todd Harris, the four-episode animated series builds on foundation that Coolger first created in 2018’s Black Panther and expanded in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in 2022.
Coogler introduced the world to Wakanda through those landmark films, but it’s such a rich world that there are so many more stories to be told. An animated series on Disney+ is the perfect medium for such stories, at it allows for in-depth exploration without the burden and expectations of a feature film.
The result is an action packed journey through key points in Wakandan history with stories fully of heart, and humor. Eyes of Wakanda highlights important characters, beyond the royal family, that helped shape that history, and continues to show why this world demands more visits.
Eyes of Wakanda releases August 1, 2025 on Disney+
Official Synopsis
Marvel Animation’s new action-adventure limited series “Eyes of Wakanda” follows the adventures of brave Wakandan warriors throughout history. In this globe-trotting adventure, the heroes must carry-out dangerous missions to retrieve Vibranium artifacts from the enemies of Wakanda. They are the Hatut Zaraze and this is their story. Featuring the voices of Winnie Harlow, Cress Williams, Patricia Belcher, Larry Herron, Adam Gold, Lynn Whitfield, Jacques Colimon, Jona Xiao, Isaac Robinson-Smith, Gary Anthony Williams, Zeke Alton, Steve Toussaint and Anika Noni Rose, “Eyes of Wakanda” is helmed by director/executive producer Todd Harris, with Ryan Coogler executive producing. The show is also executive produced by Brad Winderbaum, Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito and Dana Vasquez-Eberhardt, and Proximity Media’s Zinzi Coogler, Sev Ohanian and Kalia King. “Eyes of Wakanda” launches on Disney+ Aug. 1, 2025.
Review – Exploring Wakanda’s History with New Characters and New Stories
Ever since Ryan Coogler introduced us to Wakanda in Black Panther, fans have clamored for more stories from that world, more exploration of that society and more characters to be highlighted. With Eyes of Wakanda, Marvel Studios finally goes us more, focusing on four distinct moments in Wakandan history and highlighting four key Wakandan figures. As an anthology series, each of the four episodes largely stand on their own, with little more than a reference to one another. This series is not about the Black Panther or the royal family. Instead, it’s about the Hatut Zeraze, or War Dogs, who are tasked with secretly going out into the larger world and retrieving lost Wakandan artifacts infused with vibranium.
The thematic ties to the Black Panther film are clear. In that film, Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) is the equivalent of a War Dog, as she operates outside of Wakanda. We also see stolen Wakandan artifacts used as a major plot point with Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) taking one from a museum in England. It feels as if Coogler, creator Todd Harris, and the rest of the creative team, used those two elements as the foundation to create this series. Harris also directs a couple of the episodes, along with John Fang. Veteran writers Geoffrey Thorne (Avengers Assemble) and Marc Bernardin (Masters of the Universe: Revelation) each wrote two episodes and also serve as co-executive producers.
The series starts way back in 1260 BC, with an episode that introduces Noni (voiced by Winnie Harlow), one of the first War Dogs. She and her mentor Akeya (voiced by Patricia Belcher) create the beginnings of the War Dog missions across the world, much in the way Peggy Carter created SHIELD. The second episode jumps ahead a few years and inserts a Wakandan War Dog right into the thick of the fabled Trojan War. In that story, we meet Memnon (voiced by Larry Herron), who is brothers in arms with the legendary Achilles himself (voiced by Adam Gold). Next, a larger time jump starts in ancient China in 1400 AD, where the War Dog Basha (Jacques Colimon) clashes with the first Iron Fist in the MCU, Jorani (voiced by Jona Xiao). Finally, the last anthology episode fast forwards 500 years, where the prince of Wakanda, Prince Tafari (voiced by Zeke Alton) and a veteran War Dog, Kuda (voiced by Steve Toussaint) run into the Black Panther from the future (voiced by Anika Noni Rose).
The four episodes have little to do with one another, but the last story does provide a fairly loose connection that runs through the series. The tones of the episodes vary, with some being surprisingly intense and emotional, like the second episode, and others being unexpectedly silly, like the third episode (both the second and third episodes were written by Bernardin). The fourth episode, titled “The Last Panther,” may become the fan favorite, as it is tells a unique story which mixes past and future Wakanda and is the only story to show the actual Black Panther.
The strongest episode is actually the first, where we not only meet Noni, but The Lion (voiced by Cress Williams), a former War Dog turned conquering pirate. That episode, written by Thorne, tackles some interesting issues related to the kingdom of Wakanda, its insular ways and exactly what the idea of freedom means for Wakandans. The Lion is also probably the coolest character design in the entire series.
The lack of a overarching storyline, and the relatively short episodes (all approximately 30 minutes each), make the series feel initially unsatisfying. Expectations are always hard to manage with something new like this, and I certainly went into this series hoping for more deeply explored stories in Wakanda. Instead, the stories largely take place in other parts of the world. The format of the series is similar to that of the animated What If…?, but each of those three seasons had 8 or 9 episodes, allowing for more fleshed out stories. Eyes of Wakanda would definitely have benefited from having double the number of episodes. One can only hope we will see future seasons of this series.
Once you acclimate to what this series is, you can better appreciate its strengths. The art and character designs are exquisite. Marvel Studios Head of Visual Development, Ryan Meinerding, Art Director August Hall, Lead Character Designer Daniel L. Holland, and the rest of the art team did a masterful job in creating an animated Wakanda and Wakandan characters that look distinct from other animated shows and yet fit in perfectly with the visual language of the two live action Black Panther films.
The variety of new Wakandan characters introduced is also a welcome treat. From Noni, who we see both in her prime and as an elder in a later episode, and Basha, to Prince Tafari, there is a wonderful range of characters who are all distinct and unique. It’s also intriguing that Marvel decided to use this series to introduce one of the fan favorite characters in comics – the Iron Fist. However, this isn’t Danny Rand, but an ancient Iron Fist who looks to be an original character. This version, Jorani, is a woman who actually flips the script by tracking down the War Dog and finding her way into Wakanda. The character design of the Iron Fist is excellent, and it’s a very welcome decision to have the first Iron Fist in the MCU be an Asian woman character. However, that particular storyline is the weakest, as it lacks emotional weight and is concluded in an disappointingly convenient, if not overly silly, way.
Ultimately, Eyes of Wakanda is an action packed and highly entertaining series that leaves you wanting more. Coogler and his team are on a hot streak like few have ever seen before, including two Marvel series this year alone. Hopefully, that hot streak will lend itself to additional seasons of Eyes of Wakanda and more varied stories in this world.
Rating – 3.5/5 Pocky
Ron is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of POC Culture. He is a big believer in the power and impact of pop culture and the importance of representation in media.
