Attention to all gamers – you will want to see this. Xbox launched a special collaboration with Marvel Studios ahead of the highly-anticipated release of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Microsoft created a custom Xbox console inspired by the now iconic Wakandan salute. The box itself features designs found on Black Panther’s suit and the custom-made controllers are a direct reference to the cross-armed “Wakanda Forever” salute. This special collaboration also comes with replica Kimoyo beads and custom sterling charms.
This custom-made Xbox is being produced in very limited quantities. Five lucky winners will receive Wakanda Forever packages by completing a challenge on Xbox’s website.
This collaboration also includes initiatives to celebrate careers and education in STEM, such as the MakeCode Curriculum, in which users can learn how to write code for their own playable Black Panther-themes video game.
For the occasion, Marvel and Microsoft tapped actor Letitia Wright – who plays Shuri, an accomplished Wakandan scientist and innovator in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – to promote this initiative.
“I get a lot of messages, especially from young women, who were so happy to see themselves on screen, they were so happy to see someone making technology cool,” Wright said about her role. “I’m proud to play a character that these young women can look up to so they don’t feel isolated and they can pursue a career in STEM like gaming without hesitation.”
The actor hopes that giving representation to Black women in STEM on screen will help aspiring scientists to pursue their passion for the field. “Seeing is believing. By having better representation in movies and in culture, we can inspire the next generation of Black girls to see gaming and tech as a viable career option for them. Growing up, I never saw Black women on TV in these fields. I barely saw anyone like me. That’s why I’m so pleased to play this role,” says Wright.
She adds, “I am thrilled that my role in the film is speaking to a new generation of tech-geniuses, and I hope that young people can be inspired to be more involved in the STEM movement and be encouraged that it’s fun, not nerdy!”
About Kyra: Kyra Alessandrini is a news writer at Girls United and a freelance journalist. Her work has appeared in publications such as Time, The Hollywood Reporter, InStyle, and Elle. Born in New York and raised in Paris, France, she is passionate about culture, street photography, and travel.