Although we still don't know for certain that Marvel Studios is searching for an actor to play a new take on T'Challa in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the recent rumor has led to several names emerging as potential contenders.
Cross star Aldis Hodge was not among them, but does seem to be the most popular choice to suit-up as Black Panther among a lot of fans.
Hodge - who played Hawkman in Warner Bros.' ill-fated Black Adam movie - hasn't weighed in on the possibility of taking over from the late Chadwick Boseman, but did express interest in playing the hero way back in 2012 prior to Boseman being cast.
"Growing up, I was a fan of Black Panther and X-Men comic books. I was also a huge Batman fan. There’s recently been a little buzz online about Marvel pushing for Black Panther, and I’ve been in love with the idea for years. I want the fans to know that the one role I really want to play is Black Panther. I grew up loving the Marvel world, and grew up on martial arts. I still train. When Black Panther came around, he was almost like an African American Batman."
While Hodge's feeling might well have changed since, it doesn't mean he'd turn down the opportunity if it came his way.
Although the initial rumor suggested that Kevin Feige and co. were searching for a new actor to play a variant of the same character Boseman portrayed, it seems more likely that the studio is actually in the process of casting an actor for the role of the original T'Challa's son (Toussaint, aka Prince T'Challa), who was introduced at the end of Wakanda Forever.
Whatever the case may be, it appears quite a few actors believe that accepting the role would be akin to replacing Boseman, and either feel it would be disrespectful to the beloved actor, or simply don't want the responsibility of filling those particular shoes.
Whether Hodge winds up on Marvel's radar or not, scooper MTTSH is reporting that the studio has only met with "light-skinned Black actors" so far. This does often tend to be a controversial talking point and bone of contention among fans, as some feel that major studios tend to avoid casting darker-skinned actors in leading roles, particularly in superhero projects.
The new T'Challa is expected to debut in one of the upcoming Avengers movies before going on to play a bigger part in Black Panther 3.
During a 2022 interview with the New York Times, director Ryan Coogler admitted that he'd be glad to stay on this franchise for "as long as folks will have me."
"I feel blessed that I have the opportunity to work on these movies, bro. When I got asked to do the first one, it was like a moving train. I thank God every day that I was able to jump on it and meet these people, these actors, and to meet Chadwick during some of the last years of his life. I’ll do it as long as folks will have me. But I think it’s bigger than just me or Joe. Between the first and second movie, we made $2 billion at the box office, which is what matters the most to corporations. So I hope that it continues, man. I hope people are still making movies about Wakanda long after we’re gone."
Who would you like to see suit-up as the MCU's new Black Panther?
In Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), Shuri (Letitia Wright), M’Baku (Winston Duke), Okoye (Danai Gurira), and the Dora Milaje (including Florence Kasumba), fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T’Challa’s death. As the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes must band together with the help of War Dog Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) and Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) and forge a new path for the kingdom of Wakanda. Introducing Tenoch Huerta as Namor, king of a hidden undersea nation, the film also stars Dominique Thorne, Michaela Coel, Mabel Cadena, and Alex Livanalli.