"The story starts off during the end of the Western Bronze Age", Todd Harris on Macy's new animated series Eyes of Wakanda

Marvel fans have been waiting for new views of Wakanda, and now, with the new animated series, Eyes of Wakanda, that universe is explored again, but in a different historical context. The tale picks up at the end of the Western Bronze Age, traveling far earlier than anything we've ever experienced in previous Marvel Cinematic or animated stories.

During an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Todd Harris, a supervising producer on the project, said this creative decision wasn't arbitrary. According to Collider, he said,

"I really like the idea of everyone's view of history. The story starts off during the end of the Western Bronze Age and that sparks off this giante spy-espionage story that reverberates through time."

It reflects a deliberate attempt to anchor Wakandan lore in a global context that predates modern civilizations.

Harris also elaborated on the conceptual design and narrative structure of the series. Established well before the Black Panther saga, Eyes of Wakanda establishes a connection between Wakanda's technological and cultural heritage and global historical eras, beginning with an era that saw the fall of prominent Bronze Age societies.

Throughout the series appears dedicated to following the footsteps of Wakanda's expansion through warriors and ambassadors who recover stolen vibranium throughout history.

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A James Bond-style format based on ancient times

Harris framed Eyes of Wakanda as working in a "James Bond-style" narrative structure. That is, every episode will most likely revolve around standalone missions with over-arching connective tissue. Yet, that espionage-inspired structuring is contrasted with one that goes back more than 3,000 years.

The Western Bronze Age, which ended in about 1200 BCE, is an era marked by the collapse of mighty empires such as the Hittites and the Mycenaeans, so the show's timeline is both novel and ambitious for a Marvel series.

As per Entertainment Weekly, Harris said,

"When an inciting incident releases some of these things into the wild, they've got to, in a very hush hush kind of way, make sure that these things don't turn into a bigger problem" .

He continued,

"We saw what happened when one disc got into the hands of one Super Soldier — it changed the course of the world."

This narrative choice enables Eyes of Wakanda to explore themes other than superhero clichés. Picking up in the Bronze Age, the creators are drawing on an era of geopolitical tension, technological shift, and cultural upheaval—all of which would be fertile ground for a story.

There's some intentional contrast being drawn here between the old world and the futuristic technology of Wakanda, showing how its existence across history may have quietly shifted or intersected with human progress.

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Todd Harris on world-building and character archetypes

According to Harris's comments, the production team, led by director Todd Harris and others, has developed characters that serve as Wakanda's agents, precisely with the mission of retrieving vibranium. The agents are not necessarily heroes or royalty by nature; rather, they serve in a way like global sentinels who labor in the background. Their missions, although fixed in different historical eras, are intended to highlight the Wakandans' centuries-long sense of duty to keep vibranium out of the wrong hands.

This concept of several characters entering the field creates space for Eyes of Wakanda to venture into different personalities and strategies. It also diversifies from the homogeneous Wakandan perception that tends to revolve around the royal class. In Harris's argument, the heroes are regular Wakandans placed in special work, representatives of their era, meeting international threats that compromise the integrity of vibranium.

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The historical canvas of Wakanda's legacy

By placing the story in the Western Bronze Age, the minds behind Eyes of Wakanda can spin fiction on the loom of actual history. It is not simply a stylistic choice; it informs how far back the impact of Wakanda might have reached. Historically, the Western Bronze Age is the time when significant trade networks, writing, and settled urban areas in the Mediterranean and Near East ceased.

Presenting Wakandan emissaries within this time frame creates speculative avenues regarding their involvement in ancient crises and breakdowns. Harris's focus on placing events in history fulfills a two-part purpose. Not only does it lend gravity to Wakanda's timeline, but it also provides viewers with a different perspective to view the Marvel universe from a pre-modern context.

The vibranium-based operations may overlap with historical activities or exist in the shadows, quietly affecting human activities without modifying established history. This tightrope walking between factuality and fantasy appears to be part of the show's modus operandi.

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Animation as a tool for everlasting storytelling

While the specific animation aesthetic remains to be fully disclosed, Harris points out that the visual approach complements a layered and immersive storytelling. Animation provides the flexibility to work around historical landscapes, complicated action sequences, and fantasy elements such as high-tech Wakandan tech in ancient times. It also allows for rapid cuts between timelines, which is necessary for a series intended to delve into missions across periods.

The medium also invites bold artistic experimentation, whether it is with costume design drawn from ancient civilizations or backdrops drawn from archaeological records. Because Eyes of Wakanda covers centuries, the animation has to evolve to follow changing cultural styles, and Harris suggests that the diversity of style and setting is a big element in the show's visuals.

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Throughout his review, Todd Harris avoids hyping up the series. Rather, he stays tight-lipped on the creative and storytelling choices that characterize Eyes of Wakanda. The production seems to be an elaborate mixture of intrigue, historical fantasy, and cultural mythology. Its historical grounding—the close of the Western Bronze Age—distinguishes it from standard superhero fare and encourages observers to see Wakanda as a participant in the larger sweep of human history.

Harris's strategy is one of gradual building, with each episode adding to the vision of Wakanda as something greater than a vision of the future city. It's a civilization that has survived, learned, and interacted on its terms, even during periods of extreme historical turmoil. That heritage, as interpreted through the vision of these agents, makes this show a unique contribution to the Marvel universe—subtly strong, time-bound, and defined by the past.

Also read: Brand new images of Eyes of Wakanda reveals new details of the anthology series