Hannah Beachler, production designer of Wakanda Forever, delves into Talokan's story

Oscar-winning production designer Hannah Beachler was commissioned by director Ryan Coogler to make two films in one for 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever': a more complex technological expansion of hardware and vehicles to Wakanda, as well as the world Talokan submarine. The new setting was designed as a mirror of the Afrofuturistic utopia introduced in "Black Panther": another ancient civilization - in this case, Maya - forced into isolation, but able to survive thanks to the powerful source of energy vibranium. Led by King Namor (Tenoch Huerta), the Talokans were driven into the ocean by Spanish persecution and slaughter in the 16th century, using magical powers.

Beachler put together a 400-page bible, similar to the one she had previously designed for Wakanda, in two years. She not only had to understand how to root Talokan in Mayan culture, but also how its inhabitants could presumably live underwater. Breathing alone was a complicated system, inspired by jellyfish taking oxygen from the water directly into their bodies. It was determined that the Talokan would sleep like otters who wrap themselves in kelp blankets.

"The Bible had a timeline and the pattern of migration from Yucatán to the Puerto Rico Trench spanning 500 years," Beachler told IndieWire. “What was it like and where did they go? And how did their architecture and knowledge of water and underwater life develop? They started genetically modifying the corn kelp that we've talked about a lot, which became their main crop, like the maze was for Maya - and they took it out into the ocean. We did all the groundwork, we spoke to cultural experts as well as oceanographers, marine biologists, ocean management on invasive and intrusive species, hydrothermal events and underwater creatures. They were at 12,000 feet and we really needed to learn what that meant in theory. It was more fantastic than Wakanda."

"Black Panther: Wakanda Forever"

Annette Brown

Beachler modeled the Talokan after the Mayans who lived in the Chiapas region of southern Mexico and founded Namor after the child king Pakal. They had a river that ran through the Temple of...