There were so many things to love about ‘Captain America: Civil War’, but one thing that everyone raves about is Chadwick Boseman’s portrayal of the Black Panther. The actor proved that he was the right man for the part and he got people excited for Ryan Coogler’s upcoming Phase Three film. But aside from T’Challa, many were wondering which characters would appear alongside the King of Wakanda in his first solo adventure in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Though stars such as Lupita Nyong’o and Michael B. Jordan have been connected to the project, their roles are still unspecified. However, a new report might give us an indication of which supporting cast members may make the jump from the page to the screen for ‘Black Panther’.
ScreenRant recently uncovered a casting list for the warrior-king’s first major motion picture that may or may not have revealed the roles of Jordan and Nyong’o, as well as a number of other figures connected to Boseman’s Panther. First, as many would assume, Andy Serkis’ Ulysses Klaw, who we previously saw in ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’, and Martin Freeman’s Everett K. Ross from ‘Civil War’ are included in the list as they have long histories with the titular character. Although, there are quite a few more rumored characters that may or may not surprise some True Believers:
- ULYSSES KLAW (played by Andy Serkis) – Murderer and betrayer of T’Chaka and personal archenemy of T’Challa. A powerhouse with near-absolute control of sound.
- MONICA LYNNE – A singer who saved T’Challa from drowning after being bested by Killmonger. His longest love interest, whom he pledged eternal devotion towards.
- EVERETT K. ROSS (played by Martin Freeman) – A United States State Department employee, whose job was to escort foreign diplomats on American soil. His world changed forever when he was assigned to T’Challa, the Black Panther, the ruler of Wakanda.
- N’GASSI – Adviser to T’Challa, acting regent when he goes away on missions.
- OKOYE – One of the former Dora Milaje, a ceremonial betrothed/bodyguard of T’Challa. Okoye is of the J’Kuwali tribe and acted as a traditional, proper concomitant to the king, speaking only to the king and only in Hausa, an African dialect not widely spoken in Wakanda and thus affording the king and his wives a measure of privacy.
- QUEEN DIVINE JUSTICE – The street-smart queen of the Jabari tribe of Wakanda raised in Chicago, and former Dora Milaje of T’Challa. She originally went by the name Chanté Giovanni Brown.
- W’KABI – T’Challa’s competent second-in-command, completely loyal to his liege.
- ZURI – A grumpy and gigantic elderly warrior. A close friend of the late T’Chaka, and one of T’Challa’s most trusted advisers.
- ACHEBE/REVERAND ACHEBE – A poor farmer somewhere in South Africa, Achebe sold his soul to the demon Mephisto. He is portrayed as a grinning, unpredictable, lunatic, warrior-mystic, regularly talking to his hand-puppet Daki with delusions that it’s truly alive, and engineering complex plots of social unrest for profit or entertainment.
- ERIK KILLMONGER – A powerful warrior and strategic genius in politics and economics.
- MALICE – Wakandan Mutate with superhuman strength, speed, and agility. She is a former Dora Milaje of T’Challa.
- MAN-APE – Ruler of the Jabari Tribe a recognized micronation within Wakanda’s borders. M’Baku was Wakanda’s greatest warrior second only to the Black Panther. He plotted to usurp the throne with the help of the outlawed White Gorilla cult who were ancient rivals of the Black Panther cult, which basically made them heretics since Panther worship is the state religion. Founding member of the “Pan African Congress on the Treatment of Superhumans”.
- WHITE WOLF – T’Challa’s adopted elder brother and the former leader of the Hatut Zeraze, the espionage elite police of Wakanda. Exiled by T’Challa, due to using torture and assassinations in his zeal to root out potential threats to national security.
Should this casting report prove to be true, it shows that Marvel Studios is going in a very interesting direction with ‘Black Panther’. Because of all the different tribes and influential leaders included here, we might be getting a very ‘Game of Thrones’-esque tale with power struggles and crafty maneuvers involving those fighting for control of Wakanda. But beyond that, we now have some potential roles for Jordan and Nyong’o. With the ‘Creed’ star rumored to be playing a villain, it’s very possible that he could end up as Erik Killmonger, Man-Ape, or White Wolf. As for the Academy Award-winning actress, there are reports saying that she could be a love interest for T’Challa, so Monica Lynne is the most likely choice. However, she could be really awesome as Queen Divine Justice, Okoye, or even Malice. Regardless of who they end up playing, I’m sure that we’re likely to learn the truth sooner rather than later as the film moves closer and closer to the production phase.
What do you think about this potential cast list for ‘Black Panther’? Are you surprised to see any of these characters included in T’Challa’s story? And which of these could you see Lupita Nyong’o and Michael B. Jordan playing in the film? Share your thoughts and theories in the comments.
Despite being a “professional writer”, Ben likes run-on sentences and puns far too much. For more of his attempts at being funny and the occasional insightful thought, follow him on Twitter and Instagram.
