Black Panther’s superstars
Meet the actors who make the film Marvel-ous
Black Panther first made his debut in the pages of Marvel Comics in 1966. From there, it took fifty years for the character to make his live-action debut in last year’s Captain America: Civil War, and now it’s time for his solo spin-off film, due out in February 2018.
Expectations are high for Black Panther, as it is the latest film from the hottest young director in Hollywood, Ryan Coogler. After first bursting on the scene with the racially-charged drama, Fruitvale Station, he defied all expectations with Creed, the Rocky sequel which came out of nowhere to surprise audiences with its heartfelt sincerity and crowd-pleasing bombast. Black Panther will be his first attempt at a big-budget blockbuster, and we’re confident that he’ll knock it right out of the park.
While we eagerly anticipate the adventures of T’Challa of Wakanda, let’s take a look at some of the main cast of Black Panther:
Chadwick Boseman
T’Challa, AKA Black Panther, is played by Chadwick Boseman, reprising his role from Captain America: Civil War, which saw him in vengeful pursuit of The Winter Soldier, whom he believed had murdered his father in a terrorist bombing.
Prior to joining Marvel’s pantheon of superheroes, Boseman was best known for starring in biographical films 42 (as Baseball great Jackie Robinson) and Get On Up (as The Godfather of Soul, James Brown).
Michael B. Jordan
After starring in lead roles in both Fruitvale Station and Creed, Michael B. Jordan instead makes a supporting turn in Black Panther, as Killmonger, an exile from Wakanda who returns home with devilish ulterior motives.
Black Panther won’t be Jordan’s first appearance in the superhero genre, but we’d really like to forget 2015’s dreadful Fantastic Four reboot, which basically sunk the career of its in-over-his-head director, Josh Trank. It’s a shame, really, since he showed so much potential with Chronicle. Who knows? Maybe Trank will bounce back one day and win over all the fans he lost on Fantastic Four. It could happen!
Lupita Nyong’o
In just a few short years, Lupita Nyong’o has risen to become one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, thanks to her memorable performances in 12 Years A Slave and Queen of Katwe, to say nothing of her motion captured role as Maz Kanata in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
In Black Panther, she plays Nakia; in the comics, her role varies between romantic interest for T’Challa, or comrade-in-arms to his main villain, Erik Killmonger. Which role will she play in the movie? Time will tell.
Danai Gurira
Television fans recognize Danai Gurira from her scene-stealing role as the katana-weilding survivalist, Michonne, on The Walking Dead. In Black Panther, she trades Michonne’s signature dreadlocks for a bald, tattooed head, and she looks stunning as Okoye, one of Black Panther‘s most trusted bodyguards.
Following Black Panther, Danai is expected to reprise her role, alongside Chadwick Boseman, in Avengers: Infinity War, which is due out on May 4, 2018.
Daniel Kaluuya
Daniel Kaluuya made waves with his tremendous performance in Jordan Peele‘s acclaimed horror film, Get Out; made with a budget of under five million dollars, the film brought in a stunning $252 million worldwide.
In Black Panther, Kaluuya plays W’Kabi, T’Challa’s best friend and head of security. In the comics, he has a bionic arm, but it is uncertain if that particular trait will make its way to the movie.
Angela Bassett
It’s been nearly 25 years since Angela Bassett starred as Tina Turner in the seminal What’s Love Got To Do With It, but the actress still has the beauty and gravitas of a rock and roll idol.
Basset plays Ramonda, mother of T’Challa, AKA Black Panther. Actually, in the comics, Ramonda is his stepmother, as his biological mom died during childbirth. It’s as yet unknown if that plot point will be featured in the film.
Winston Duke
Every superhero movie needs a hunky chunk of stone-carved muscle for the hero to fight against, and it’s looking like Black Panther will see that role filled by Winston Duke in the role of M’Baku. In the comics, M’Baku is better known as Man-Ape, and he dresses in a gaudy White Gorilla outfit for the sake of creating a movie palatable for modern audiences, they’re dropping the silly costume and potentially offensive moniker.
Letita Wright
The real wildcard in the Black Panther cast is Letita Wright as Shuri. Wright previously starred in the short-lived cult AMC series, Humans, and the 24-year-old starlet is looking to break into the big leagues with her role in this movie. In the comics, Shuri is T’Challa’s little sister who eventually inherits the Black Panther mantle from her big brother. If Marvel Studios is playing the long game (and they’ve been making movies since 2008, so they certainly are), then could Shuri one day take over as Black Panther from Chadwick Boseman? In the realm of Marvel’s Cinematic Universe, anything can happen.