S2 50 Roye Okupe on “Iyanu”

There's a new superhero coming to Showmax! Iyanu. Iyanu is a teenage orphan girl who discovers she has divine powers and a destiny far greater than she ever imagined, one that involves saving the ancient kingdom of Yorubaland. 

The animated series is adapted from Nigerian creator Roye Okupe’s popular graphic novel series, Iyanu: Child of Wonder, published by Dark Horse Comics, the powerhouse behind The Umbrella Academy and Hellboy comics. After its US launch Iyanu ranked as the #1 series on Cartoon Network . 

With the superhero genre currently at the height of popularity, Roye has made it a goal to create a connected universe of superhero and fantasy stories inspired by African history, culture and mythology. With the second season set to premiere in 2026 and more stories on the horizon, Iyanu is well on its way to becoming a defining franchise in modern animation.

Battling time differences, Gino managed to nail down a brief online 30 minutes with Roye in Maryland in the US. Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Roye Okupe is an award-winning filmmaker, author, speaker and entrepreneur whose passion for comics and animation led him to found YouNeek Studios in 2015, an avenue that would allow him to pursue his dream of creating a diverse library of superheroes. Roye chats about what got him going, his move to the States and what keeps him busy.

Season 1 of Iyanu is now available to binge on Showmax.

Screenrant hails it as “The Last Airbender and Black Panther hybrid you didn’t know you needed.” 

Let us know what you think, what movie or series you would like to see featured, or just to tell us how brilliant it all is:
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Member of the Film Critics Association of South Africa (FCASA)

Produced by Ted Loukes and A10 Consulting
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Music by The_Mountain from Pixabay

© SANTE MEDIA 2025

Chapters

• 0:37 In the Beginning
• 2:55 Moving to the States
• 6:05 Malika & YouNeek Studios
• 9:33 Dark Horse and Lion Forge
• 17:26 Iyanu
• 22:19 10,000 Hours