This
study investigates the representation of Black female masculinity and cyborg
feminism in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) through a semiotic and
postmodern theoretical framework. Films often serve as powerful media in
reproducing or challenging dominant social constructions of race, gender, and
power. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, as a mainstream cinematic work,
presents a nuanced portrayal of Black female identity. The analysis focuses on
the characters of Queen Ramonda, Shuri, Okoye, Riri Williams, and the Dora
Milaje, who embody non-normative gender expression, technological agency, and
resistance against patriarchal and racially charged power structures. The data
consists of 53 selected scenes and five significant dialogues. By employing the
semiotic theories of Roland Barthes and Christian Metz, the study interprets
visual, verbal, and symbolic signs that reveal how these characters challenge
the boundaries of gender, race, and culture. The female characters are
portrayed as hybrid figures, merging human and machine, who embody courage,
intelligence, and leadership. The findings demonstrate that the film constructs
an alternative narrative of Black female empowerment through fluid, progressive
identities that subvert dominant norms, showing that the female characters
represent Black female masculinity through a rich intersection of gender
performance, cultural symbolism, and narrative power. Their masculinity is not
about replicating male dominance, but about asserting agency, intelligence, and
strength in ways that reflect their identities as Black women. They lead,
fight, build, and protect-reshaping the meaning of heroism itself. This
representation offers a radical departure from mainstream gender norms,
positioning Black female masculinity not as an exception, but as a legitimate
and empowering mode of being in both cinematic and cultural discourse.
