6 Most Likely Characters Michael B. Jordan And Lupita Nyong'o Are Playing In BLACK PANTHER
The characters being played by Michael B. Jordan (Creed) and Lupita Nyong'o (Star Wars) in Black Panther are a mystery, and what you'll find here are the three most likely possibilities for them both...
Black Panther stole the show in Captain America: Civil War, and the character's 2018 movie is now very high on top of pretty much everyone's lists when it comes to their most highly anticipated Marvel Phase 3 releases. Despite the fact that the Ryan Coogler helmed release doesn't start shooting until early next year, the cast is already being assembled, and this week saw two pretty amazing additions made.
Those were of course Lupita Nyong'o (The Jungle Book) as a love interest and Michael B. Jordan (Fantastic Four) as a villain, and while those non-specific descriptions remain unconfirmed, they come from the reliable folks at THR. So, as we don't know who these two are playing, I've put together what I believe to be the most likely candidates for each of them, and you may be surprised by my choices...
6. White Wolf
A lesser known member of Black Panther's rogues gallery, White Wolf's (which is a nice parallel to T'Challa's moniker) parents died in a place crash when he was a child, and Hunter as he was then known ended up being adopted by KIng T'Chaka. Jealous of his adopted brother and the nation he would one day rule over, Hunter became the head of Wakanda's secret police in order to prove himself, but as the White Wolf, his methods were so brutal that T'Challa disbanded the Hatut Zeraze the second he became King.
That didn't sit well with Hunter and he left with his men to become mercenaries, but he never actually ended up battling his brother. That's where this movie could take some creative liberties as everything above sounds like the perfect origin story for a bad guy, and while it's a little similar to Thor and Loki's dynamic, Marvel could no doubt find a great story here which is worth telling.
5. Monica Lynne
Arguably Black Panther's most well known love interest, Monica Lynne may seem like the most likeliest candidate for Lupita Nyong'o, but not of the action is set entirely in Wakanda. Regardless, Monica was a singer from America who saved T'Challa during a battle with one of his enemies, and he would later return the favour by helping her out with a few problems she ran into. They inevitably ended up falling for each other, with Monica moving to Wakanda and T'Challa exploring a very different world to his own by meeting her family in Georgia.
Seeing the hero fall for someone outside of his world would be undeniably interesting, but just like fans want Thor's adventures to be primarily set in Asgard, it will be a shame if a big chunk of Black Panther takes places in New York for example rather than Wakanda (moving T'Challa out of his home country for a bit would probably be better suited to a sequel).
4. Killmonger
Erik Killmonger was originally knowns as N'Jadaka, but he was exiled from Wakanda along with the rest of his family when his father helped Ulysses Klaw enact one of his many plans aimed at the country. However, the fact that he was forced to do so and still exiled only helped to further fuel Erik's hatred of King T'Chaka and his son, and thus began a plan to return to his home in order to take the country from T'Challa by overthrowing him.
The very likeable Michael B. Jordan playing a really hateful slimeball who is trying to steal Black Panther's throne would be a really interesting and fun departure for the actor and there's no denying that Killmonger could make for an effective villain in this movie, especially if Andy Serkis' Ulysses Klaue is somehow thrown into the mix as a supporting player. The potential for a great story is definitely here, and seeing Jordan go full on evil bad guy as Killmonger would work well.
3. Malaika
Depending on how many Black Panther comic books you've read, chances are you'll have never heard of Malaika. The Wakandan Trade Envoy to Paris and a member of the Order of the Panther, she was T'Challa's lover and a big help to him when it came to dealing with the kind of tricky political issues which had previously been his father's problem. There's a video out there of Nyong'o showing off a French actress after taking part in a advertising campaign for Lancôme, so she could no doubt master the language for this role too.
The good thing about Malaika for Marvel is that she's pretty much a blank slate and fans have very few expectations about what should be done with her. As a result, they could very easily change this character to suit the story's purpose, essentially borrowing little more than her name and job from the source material as they've done with so many others over the years.
2. Man-Ape
Putting an African American actor in a costume like this and calling him "Man-Ape" could wind up being extremely offensive, but just like Marvel has modernised other characters created during very different periods in history, so too could a new take on M'Baku be brought to the big screen. Keeping the origin story (which saw the character kill one of Wakanda's rare white gorillas, eat its flesh, and receive powers as a result) could work though, especially if that's used as a parallel of sorts to what T'Challa went through to become the Black Panther.
The comic book version of M'Baku wants to return the country to its earlier, primitive ways, and that would be an intriguing direction for this movie to head in considering the fact that we know Wakanda is a very advanced nation. All of this would have to be handled with some sensitivity, but it could make for a good story and would show a very different side to Michael B. Jordan.
1. Okoye
T'Challa falling in love or having a secret relationship with one of his protectors could be a lot of fun to explore, especially if that's forbidden in some way and they're forced to hide their feelings. That would make this a little different to the conventional love stories we're used to seeing in superhero movies and could open the door to some unexpected storytelling possibilities too.
Which of these characters do you most want to see in Black Panther? Have we missed any other worthy candidates? As always, let us know your thoughts in the usual place!