Thursday 6 October 2022 05:07 PM Michaela Coel on playing a queer black character in Black Panther trends now
Michaela Coel is about to appear on the big screen as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, taking on the role of a legendary LGBTQ+ hero.
And to mark the occasion she also became a Vogue cover star, wowing in a high fashion shoot for the style bible's November issue.
The accompanying interview saw the I May Destroy You talent tease her influential role in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever as well as give a rare glimpse of her life off screen.
Star power: Michaela Coel is about to appear on the big screen as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And to mark the occasion she has also become a Vogue cover star
The Vogue shoot took place in Ghana, Michaela's ancestral home, with her father, Derek Kwesi Coel, and grandmother Jemima Andam also starring in the photographs - all three dressed to the nines in designer pieces.
Africa is the star of the upcoming Black Panther sequel Wakanda Forever, in which Michaela plays Aneka, a combat instructor for the Dora Milaje, the fearless all-female crew of warriors who protect the kingdom of Wakanda.
Her character falls in love with her warrior colleague Ayo, played by Florence Kasumba.
On playing a queer character in a movie set in Africa, where there are strict anti-gay policies, Michaela admitted: 'That sold me on the role, the fact that my character's queer.'
'I thought: I like that, I want to show that to Ghana... People say, "Oh, it's fine, it's just politics." But I don't think it is just politics when it affects how people get to live their daily lives.'
Family: The Vogue shoot takes place in Ghana, Michaela's ancestral home, with the father, Derek Kwesi Coel, and grandmother Jemima Andam also starring in the photographs
While she has not publicly addressed her sexuality, Michaela has always been an outspoken LGBTQ+ advocate.
Michaela was raised in East London but told Vogue's Chioma Nnadi she felt an immediate affinity for Ghana during her first visit in 2018.
'When I came here I was really seeing people who looked like me. A friend of
