It's not every day that a mythical land comes to life, and after finding out that there is a small town in Illinois called Wauconda Village (pronounced the same as Wakanda), Black Panther fans began taking their love for the movie to another level.

According to WGN 9, Wauconda residents have been receiving a number of odd phone calls over the past few weeks.

"At first, I was like, is there a full moon out? Someone called and asked how we pronounced the village name and when I told him, he began yelling, 'Wakanda forever!' which I am guessing is from the film," Alise Homola, an assistant to the mayor, said. 

Other callers have asked after the town's vibranium, and the jokes have even spread to social media.

Tony Vazquez, the manager of Wauconda’s Bulldogs Grill told the Chicago Sun-Times that he seen several posts about Wakanda on the restaurant's Instagram. 

“Somebody said, ‘This must be Black Panther’s favorite burger joint,’” Vazquez said. 

Resident's of the town are baffled about the internet fame their city is receiving, and are even amused by the comparison.

Students even asked their school if they could change their mascot to a black panther. The school's principal gracefully declined.

The village is actually named after a Native American chief buried at a nearby lake; translated into English, the name means "Spirit Water."

Although the fact that it is a homophone of Wakanda has caused some consternation, the village of Wauconda is happy about the coincidence, and is embracing its 15 minutes of fame — local community members have even taken to wearing Black Panther masks around town. 


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