Black Panther is not real, he is not a real person, but he represents real hopes and real dreams and real representation. And so there is a certain amount of pressure that came with that, delivering on what people had been dreaming about for years, whether they read the comic book or not. Because a lot of people said “Wait a minute, this is a hero that looks like me,” and the importance of that really can’t be understated. People get so excited to see themselves on that big screen, and you take that very, very seriously.
I think this is a great example of how well Erik manages to control the context of whatever scene he’s in. The first time he turns up in the palace, T’Challa tries to shut down his challenge to the throne by referring to him as an American chaos operative, but Erik turns it around on him by announcing his Wakandan name and heritage in xhosa, recontextualizing himself as a rightful Wakandan challenger.
Here T’Challa is taking him at his word, addressing him as a fellow Wakandan royal whom he can legitimately challenge for the throne, and Erik turns it around on him again by responding and identifying as an American chaos operative, who feels no obligation to respect Wakandan traditions.