The film “Black Panther” broached the subject of the theft of African cultural artifacts by European museums, In the film, the character Erik “Killmonger” Stevens took a “war hammer” from a British Museum and asked the curator, “How do you think your ancestors got these? Do you think they paid a fair price? Or did they just take it … like they took everything else?” The film evokes questions as to when European nations and the U.S. will return artifacts stolen during the rape and plunder that took place during their colonial era. Most of these artifacts originate in the former French, Belgian and British colonies of West, East and Central Africa. French President Emmanuel Macron has signaled that he will make returning African art a top priority of his administration, as Quartz reported. Benin President Patrice Talon has been the catalyst behind this move by Macron. Talon is calling for the return of cultural treasures and pieces of art that France plundered and looted as a colonizer of the West African nation, and is preserving the Dahomey royal culture with three modern museums. Benin first called for France to return the objects in 2016, followed by a letter sent to then-French President François Hollande from lawmakers and civil society groups from Benin and France. It is estimated that France stole 4,500 to 6,000 artifacts from 1892 to 1894 during the Franco-Dahomean War, including statues, scepters and thrones. These items, which French authorities and missionaries looted, were relocated to French museums such as Musée du Quai Branly and private collections.