Marvel confirms Andy Serkis and Martin Freeman will join the cast and teases the appearance of an 'old enemy' who will fight against the titular hero.
- Jan 27, 2017
AceShowbiz - Marvel has confirmed that "Black Panther" production has been underway since earlier this week. Along with that, the studio also announces its full cast and the official plot. Some rumored cast members, including Andy Serkis and Martin Freeman, have been confirmed through this announcement.
Serkis will reprise his role as the mercenary Ulysses Klaue from "Avengers: Age of Ultron". In the movie, his arm is removed by the killer robot who wants the vibranium he has stolen. In the comics, Serkis' character is described as the murderous master of sound. He fits a sonic weapon on his missing arm to fight against Black Panther and Fantastic Four.
Freeman will once again play the U.S. State Department liason to foreign diplomats visiting America, Everett K. Rose, following his debut in 2016's "Captain America: Civil War". The Dr. Watson depicter on BBC's "Sherlock" has been spotted on the "Black Panther" set.
Martin Freeman joined the cast of #BlackPanther on set in Atlanta! Check out pics: https://t.co/Ysvr0ka2C1 pic.twitter.com/4cNKD7jWGR
— JustJared.com (@JustJared) January 21, 2017
They join the previously confirmed stars, including Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Emmy-winner Sterling K. Brown, Florence Kasumba, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Daniel Kaluuya, Winston Duke and Letitia Wright. Rounding out the main cast are A-list stars Angela Bassett and Forest Whitaker.
Boseman will reprise his role from "Captain America: Civil War" as the titular hero whose alter ego is T'Challa, with Jordan playing the lead villain, Erik Killmonger. Killmonger is a Wakadan exile who wants to overthrow the new king. Along with Killmonger, there will be another villain, M'Baku, who will fight against Panther. M'Baku is portrayed by "Person of Interest" actor Winston Duke.
Ayo, a member of the Dora Milaje, will be once again played by Kasumba, who first portrayed the character in "Captain America: Civil War". "12 Years a Slave" star Nyong'o and "The Walking Dead" actress Gurira are set to play other Dora Milaje members named Nakia and Okoye respectively.
"This Is Us" star Brown is tapped to play the only character who is described as a figure from T'Challa's past, N'Jobu. This movie will reunite Brown with Joe Robert Cole, who wrote 2 episodes of Brown's other TV series, "The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story".
Angela Bassett and Forest Whitaker are cast as T'Challa's parents. Meanwhile, "Urban Hymn" actress Letitia Wright is cast in an unknown role.
"Black Panther" follows T'Challa who, after the events of "Captain America: Civil War", returns home to the isolated, technologically advanced African nation of Wakanda to take his place as King. However, when an old enemy reappears on the radar, T'Challa's mettle as King and Black Panther is tested when he is drawn into a conflict that puts the entire fate of Wakanda and the world at risk.
Directed by Ryan Coogler ("Creed"), the movie is currently filming in Atlanta and will film some scenes in South Korea. Kevin Feige produces the movie, with Louis D'Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Nate Moore, Jeffrey Chernov and Stan Lee serving as exec producers. Penned by Joe Robert Cole, the movie is set to hit U.S. theaters on February 16, 2018.
