'A Perfect Coach': Indigenous Actor Josu Maychi Taught Mayan Language To 'Wakanda Forever' Cast
If you watched “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” over the weekend, you found yourself immersed in the underwater world of Talokan — the Mayan-inspired kingdom ruled by fierce demigod Namor, played by Mexican actor Tenoch Huerta.
Now that the film is finally out, viewers are taking note of Talokan’s impressive attention to authenticity, especially its use of the Yucatec Maya language.
Creators brought in Maya-Mexican actor Josué Maychi as both a cast member and a Mayan language coach to teach his native tongue to the rest of the “Wakanda Forever” actors. While the 34-year-old plays a shaman in the box-office hit, fellow actor Huerta exclusively told mitú that Maychi was the “perfect coach,” and was “really aware” in making the Mayan dialogue “the best” it could possibly be.
With Latinx representation at the forefront, the new side of the franchise is a result of deep research into Maya culture, including everything from consulting with cultural experts to studding costumes with gorgeous jade. It makes sense director Ryan Coogler would bring in Maychi to make sure they lived up to the beauty of the culture — a move Huerta explained to us was “really helpful” in bringing spellbinding Talokan to life.
https://wearemitu.com/wearemitu/entertainment/josue-maychi-mayan-actor-language-wakanda-forever/