With rumours continuing to swirl about Marvel Studios' plans to cast a new T'Challa for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we may finally have a clearer idea of who will lead the Black Panther franchise moving forward.
Earlier this week, you might have seen some social media chatter about a random YouTube channel plucking a few different names out of a hat. Today, we have word from a scooper with a proven track record, @MyTimeToShineH and, while we'd recommend taking this with a pinch of salt for now, our sources say there may be something to this.
According to the prolific leaker, "Some of the actors Marvel Studios is/was considering to play 'New T'Challa' are: John David Washington, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Aaron Pierre."
Washington, the son of screen icon Denzel Washington, is best known for starring in Tenet, The Creator, and The Piano Lesson. Harrison Jr., meanwhile, most recently lent his talents to Mufasa: The Lion King and has received widespread acclaim for his work in Waves and Chevalier.
Perhaps the most interesting name on the list is Pierre, especially as the Rebel Ridge star was recently cast as the DCU's John Stewart in Lanterns. We'd imagine that's taken him out of the running and he may be the mystery actor who turned Marvel Studios down last year.
Following Chadwick Boseman's passing, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever killed the MCU's T'Challa, with his sister, Shuri, inheriting the mantle. For now, she'll continue to serve in the role but who knows what sort of Multiversal madness will lead to the original Black Panther's return.
Letitia Wright was asked about her MCU future late last year and, despite playing coy, all but confirmed that she'll return to the role of Shuri soon.
"If it's, uh, let's just say, let's just say..." the actor teased, clearly choosing her words carefully. "I would like to continue with Shuri. She's one of my favorite characters, such a blessing, honestly, I kid you not. I'm so grateful for her. There's a lot coming up."
Since that interview, Denzel Washington has revealed that he will star in Black Panther 3; Marvel Studios, meanwhile, further confirmed the threequel is in the works when producer Nate Moore's exit from the studio was announced.
"Nearly everything I know about producing I’ve learned from my time at Marvel Studios," he said last month addressing his departure. "I feel lucky to have worked with a group of people who love filmmaking and storytelling as much as my Marvel colleagues and the cast and crew of our films."
Moore added, "But I couldn’t be more excited to apply my experience and passion for film towards theatrical movies in all genres, including returning to the world of Wakanda for Black Panther 3."
The next Black Panther movie is expected to be released after Avengers: Secret Wars.