Michaela Coel is set to hit the big screen soon as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
And to mark the occasion, she also became a Vogue cover star and wowed in a high fashion shoot for the November issue of the style bible.
In the accompanying interview, the I May Destroy You talent teases her influential role in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and shares a rare glimpse into her off-screen life.
Star Power: Michaela Coel is poised to hit the big screen as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And for the occasion, she also became a Vogue cover star
The Vogue shoot takes place in Ghana, Michaela’s ancestral home, with her father, Derek Kwesi Coel, and grandmother, Jemima Andam, also in the photos – all three in designer clothes.
Michaela grew up in East London but told Vogue’s Chioma Nnadi that she felt an instant affinity for Ghana when she first visited in 2018.
“When I came here, I really saw people who looked like me. A friend of mine was with me and he remembers we got off the plane and I walked around like I knew where I was going,” she explained.
“I remember looking at all the kids playing and it hit me: Wow, that could have been me and I think that would have been really fun. Yes, there are many sad things; Poverty, unemployment, struggle. There is also a lot of calm, kindness. Fear is lacking.’
Family: The Vogue shoot takes place in Ghana, Michaela’s ancestral homeland, and the photos also feature father, Derek Kwesi Coel, and grandmother Jemima Andam
Africa stars in the upcoming Black Panther sequel, Wakanda Forever, which stars Michaela as Aneka, a combat instructor for the Dora Milaje, the fearless all-female warrior force protecting the kingdom of Wakanda.
Her character falls in love with her fellow warrior Ayo, played by Florence Kasumba.
Playing a queer character in a film set in Africa, which has strict anti-gay policies, Michaela admitted, “That’s what attracted me to the role, the fact that my character is queer.”
“I thought: I like that, I want to show that to Ghana. …People say, ‘Oh, it’s okay, it’s just politics.’ But I don’t think it’s just politics if it affects how people can go about their daily lives.”
Starring: In the accompanying interview, the I May Destroy You talent teases her influential role in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, as well as life off screen
“So it felt important for me to step in and take on that role because I know Ghanaians will come just because I’m Ghanaian.”
As for her own love story in front of the camera, Michaela said she is working hard on herself in hopes of finding her same partner one day.
“I want a significant other. I love romance and I love when romance turns into something deeper, a relationship where there is understanding, transparency, forgiveness and openness,” she said.
“But you have to find that person, and personally I haven’t seen many sane men.”
“So I don’t know if I trust myself. I’m trying to do the work. I talk about this all the time in therapy, and in fact they get healthier and healthier from person to person.’
Role: In the Black Panther sequel, Michaela plays Aneka, a combat instructor for the Dora Milaje, the fearless all-female warrior squad protecting the kingdom of Wakanda
Michaela landed a role in the Black Panther sequel after she caught the eye of the film’s director, Ryan Coogler, at the London premiere of the first film, where she confidently blended in with the cast.
Development on a sequel to the original Black Panther began shortly after the release of the original, which premiered in 2018.
Numerous cast members from the first film have expressed interest in returning for a sequel, although plans were complicated when its star Chadwick Boseman tragically passed away from colon cancer in August 2020.
It was later confirmed that plans for a sequel were moving forward and the late actor’s role would not be recast.
“It felt like the entire cast was processing grief,” Michaela said of her experiences on set after Boseman’s death.
“There was a feeling that we need to bring this baby home on behalf of Chadwick.”
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will be released on November 11th.
Vogue’s November 2022 issue hits newsstands nationwide on October 18.
Tribute: Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman tragically died of colon cancer in August 2020. “It felt like the entire cast was processing grief,” Michaela said of her experience on set