Akira Toriyama and Dragon Ball are considered legendary not only in Japan but also around the world. Because of that, many mangaka and comic series have been inspired by Akira Toriyama's talent as well as the plot of Dragon Ball.
Additionally, there are also two films from the Marvel Cinematic Universe that feature elements inspired by Dragon Ball.
Black Panther's Killmonger resembles Dragon Ball's Vegeta
Michael B. Jordan as Killmonger in Black Panther.
Back when Black Panther came out in 2018, fans were screaming “Wakanda Forever!” everywhere. Due to its immense popularity, it didn’t take long for fans to notice the similarities between Erik Killmonger and Dragon Ball’s Vegeta. Both characters wore extremely similar outfits, with reinforced armor on the outside and tight blue clothing underneath.
The two also have extremely similar backgrounds, as they were both born into royalty and fell from power after the death of their fathers. Both have similar journeys of revenge.
Michael B. Jordan, the actor who plays Killmonger, has commented on the resemblance himself. During the promotion of Creed II, the actor was asked if the Killmonger costume he wears was inspired by Vegeta. His response was: “Maybe, I'm not sure. Honestly, I really don't know.”
Jordan's initial hesitation may have stemmed from the fact that he himself is an anime fan and may have noticed the similarities, but he hasn't talked about it with any of the show's creators.
Other Akira Toriyama and Dragon Ball References in Shang-Chi
Simu Liu in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Shang-Chi learned how to control the Ten Rings in the movie. He charges up electricity to create a powerful attack, and it looks similar to Dragon Ball's Kamehameha. In fact, Katy even compared the blast to Goku's Kamehameha in the movie, further cementing the connection between the two franchises.
While the energy-charged attack isn't exclusive to Dragon Ball, the scene isn't random and it was revealed in an interview with the filmmakers. Director Destin Daniel Cretton shared all the pop culture inspirations in Shang-Chi and one of them was Goku's famous technique.
“I grew up with Dragon Ball Z, and I used a clip of Goku-san doing the Kamehameha. I showed that clip to Marvel…”, the director said.
Goku uses Kamehameha
The Dragon Ball references were a huge hit with fans as people realized how much Goku is loved by everyone. In fact, Shang-Chi's outfit is also said to be extremely similar to Goku's outfit. It is believed that the director of Shang-Chi included as many Dragon Ball references as possible in the film.
