As more actors express interest in the titular role of Marvel's forthcoming Black Panther big screen adaptation, fans are now modestly reaching out to their preferred candidates via social networking. The latest is actor Brian J. White, 37, who is best known for his roles in Fighting, Stomp the Yard and recently The Cabin in the Woods.
Brian J. White has been keen on working with Marvel for quite some time, expressing his interest in 'Luke Cage' back in 2009, following the success of
Iron Man. And although speaking of his eligibility for the 'Cage' role, White told
Movieline in August of 2009:
"I think I have the skill-set. Like Iron Man, you have to be able to handle drama and comedy; you have to have the physique to be able to take off your shirt; you have to have a certain statue – if you're 5'8 it doesn't really work so well, unless it's a small superhero – and you have to have a certain athletic ability. That's what I'm angling towards. These are $150 million movies, so I'm trying to pay my dues, and do the work, so that I might get a look-in."
Created by writer-editor Stan Lee & penciller-co-plotter Jack Kirby, “The Black Panther” (T'Challa) first appeared in “Fantastic Four #52,” and is the first black superhero in mainstream American comics. Back in January of 2011, Hollywood trades revealed that documentary writer Mark Bailey (“Ghosts of Abu Ghraib”) was hired to pen a live-action screenplay focused on the Wakandan king, for Marvel Studios. And recent claims indicate that “The Black Panther” adaptation could officiate Walt Disney Pictures' currently-untitled June 27, 2014 release date.