Eyes of Wakanda

The Hatut Zaraze, Wakandan warriors, carry out dangerous missions around the world to retrieve vibranium artifacts throughout history. == Cast and characters ==

Main • Winnie Harlow as Noni:A disgraced former member of the Dora Milaje, Wakanda's all-female special forces, who goes on a special mission to Minoan Crete in 1260 BC. Lynn Whitfield voices an older Noni. • Cress Williams as Nkati / The Lion:A former Wakandan general turned warlord and pirate. By 1260 BC, he has managed to use the advanced technology he stole from the country to found his own tyrannical kingdom. • Larry Herron as B'Kai / Memnon: A Hatut Zaraze operative serving undercover in Troy in 1200 BC • Adam Gold as Achilles: The Greek hero of the Trojan War and commander of the Myrmidons • Jacques Colimon as Basha: A member of the Hatut Zaraze who travels to China in 1400 AD to recover a Wakandan artifact • Jona Xiao as Jorani / Iron Fist:A masked martial artist from K'un-Lun in 1400 AD with the ability to call upon the mystical power of the Iron Fist. She draws this power from the molten heart of the immortal dragon Shou-Lao, whom she defeated. • Zeke Alton as Tafari: A Wakandan prince and Hatut Zaraze operative in 1896 AD • Steve Toussaint as Kuda:A member of the Hatut Zaraze who oversees Tafari's first mission in the field. Showrunner Todd Harris called the character "authoritative" with "heart and soul" whose strong devotion to the cause leads to his principles sometimes outweighing his duty. Guests • Patricia Belcher as Akeya: The eldest leader of the Dora Milaje and Noni's superior • Jason Konopisos as Ferro: A Myrmidon soldier who doubts Memnon's allegiance to Achilles • Kiff VandenHeuvel as Odysseus: The Greek king of Ithaca during the Trojan War • Yerman Gur as Paris: The prince of Troy during the Trojan War • Joanna Kalafatis as Helen of Troy: Paris's wife who possesses a Wakandan artifact • Isaac Robinson-Smith as Ebo: The captain of the Hatut Zaraze who oversees Basha's mission • Gary Anthony Williams as Rakim: The great counselor of the Hatut Zaraze and Basha and Ebo's superior • Anika Noni Rose as Black Panther: A time-traveling queen of Wakanda from 500 years into the future • Debra Wilson as a Dora Milaje general who serves the Black Panther of the future Additionally, the characters Uatu / Watcher and N'Jadaka / Erik "Killmonger" Stevens make non-speaking cameo appearances in the series. == Episodes ==

Development In February 2021, Ryan Coogler—writer and director of the Marvel Studios films Black Panther (2018) and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)—announced a five-year television deal between his company Proximity Media and The Walt Disney Company. The deal included the development of a drama series for the streaming service Disney+ based on the fictional country of Wakanda, the setting of the Black Panther films. Coogler was developing the series with Marvel Studios' Kevin Feige, Louis D'Esposito, and Victoria Alonso. Animation and design Animation for the series is provided by Axis Animation, with Studio AKA animating a hand-drawn opening sequence. It is presented in a widescreen aspect ratio. Eyes of Wakanda features a hand-painted animation style inspired by contemporary African-American artists such as Ernie Barnes, as well as illustrator Dean Cornwell; Barnes' style served as inspiration for the characters' exaggerated proportions in the series. The animators also looked at contemporary international art starring in the present and working backwards to find common themes that could translate to Wakandan influence throughout history. Craig Ellliot, head of the art department, worked with artists around the world, including from Nigeria, South Africa, and Egypt. Work on character designs and animatics occurred by the series' announcement in December 2023. Harris said the ambitious series could only be made with animation due to the locations and time periods depicted, explaining that in animation "Egypt costs just as much as New York City, and the Moon costs just as much as Ohio". Music Hesham Nazih composed the score for the series, after previously working on the Marvel Studios series Moon Knight (2022). The soundtrack was released on August 8, 2025. == Marketing ==

Eyes of Wakanda was promoted by Coogler and Harris during Marvel Studios Animation's panel at the D23 convention in August 2024, where some footage was shown. Footage from the series was included in a video that was released by Disney+ in October, announcing the release schedule for Marvel Television and Marvel Animation projects through the end of 2025. More footage was included in a sizzle reel that was shown at Disney's upfront presentation in May 2025. == Release ==

Eyes of Wakanda premiered on Disney+ on August 1, 2025, with all four episodes. It was previously set for release in 2024, and was scheduled for August 6 and then August 27 before the August 1 date was set. The first episode was screened at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on June 9. Eyes of Wakanda is the first series of Phase Six of the MCU. == Reception ==

Viewership Whip Media, which tracks viewership data for the more than 25 million worldwide users of its TV Time app, announced that Eyes of Wakanda was the third most-anticipated new television series of August 2025. Streaming analytics firm FlixPatrol, which monitors daily updated VOD charts and streaming ratings across the globe, reported that as of August 4, the series ranked as the number one show on Disney+ across all available markets following the debut of all four episodes. In the United States, as of August 5, Eyes of Wakanda ranked third overall on the platform's combined chart of films and series. During the week beginning August 6, Eyes of Wakanda was the most-streamed series on Disney+, outperforming other popular titles such as ''Grey's Anatomy and Modern Family''. TVision, which tracks viewer attention, program reach, and engagement across more than 1,000 CTV apps, reported that it was the eighteenth most-streamed series between August 4–10. Critical response The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reports a 91% approval rating based on 34 reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "Fleshing out the iconic MCU kingdom with concise stories and an attractive visual texture, Eyes of Wakanda is an accomplished animated addition to Black Panther lore." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 72 out of 100 based on 10 critics, indicating "generally favorable." Charles Pulliam-Moore of The Verge said that Eyes of Wakanda successfully blends Marvel fantasy with grounded storytelling rooted in Wakandan history. He noted that the series explores nuanced questions of justice, morality, and the ethics of Wakanda's secrecy. Pulliam-Moore praised the visuals, engaging use of African-inspired historical moments, and the balance of brutality and whimsy. He also highlighted showrunner Todd Harris for creating morally complex characters and coherent, captivating stories that distinguish the series among recent Disney+ animated anthologies, delivering Marvel entertainment that is both thoughtful and exciting. Dennis Perkins of The A.V. Club gave Eyes of Wakanda a grade of "B", describing it as a thought-provoking and entertaining animated series. He praised the animation for giving the characters distinct physicality and enhancing both action and storytelling. Perkins appreciated the exploration of loyalty, freedom, and cultural morality through characters such as Noni and Memnon. He also complimented the show for its imaginative fight scenes, nuanced portrayal of Wakanda's ethical dilemmas, and its ability to provide meaningful world-building within the MCU while remaining visually vibrant and engaging. Accolades == Notes ==