Marvel will release the “Black Panther” movie in 2018, but the first black superhero will get his onscreen debut in the upcoming “Captain America: Civil War.”
Played by Chadwick Boseman, Black Panther’s real name is T’Challa, the prince of a fictional African national called Wakanda. But comic book fans already knew all of that. The real question is: how will Black Panther translate to the screen?
In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, Boseman, Chris Evans, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige and “Civil War” executive producer Nate Moore break down what fans can expect from the hero’s big-screen debut.
Black Panther Is All Business
According to Boseman, while Marvel heroes like Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) are famous for their wit and snark, Black Panther has a more serious persona.
“He’s definitely not the life of the party in this instance,” Boseman said. “Not to say there’s not charm and he can’t be a ladies’ man and all that. It’s more like if there is humor, it’s more like James Bond.”
Black Panther Is a Man Divided
T’Challa is trying to make his way in the modern world, while still remaining loyal to his family and its legacy.
“There definitely is a sort of tradition that he’s torn between, in terms of how things were done in the past and how things need to happen now in this new world,” Boseman said. “I think there’s perhaps a bit of a maverick there, and then there’s also a need to live up to traditions and his father’s legacy.”
Black Panther Has a Lot in
Despite the fact that they will start out as foes in “Civil War,” Chris Evans says that Black Panther and Captain America are a lot alike.
“I love our scenes together because I do think they feel a sense of responsibility. I think they’re both very selfless people,” Evans said. “They want the right thing, no one’s irrational, no one has an inflated ego. They’re family-first people. I think outside of the suits we’d be friends, Steve and T’Challa.”
Black Panther Has His Own Arc/Conflict
Feige said the Marvel team toyed with the idea of introducing a character like Black Panther in “Civil War” until finally realizing it made the most sense to just introduce Black Panther himself. But in doing so, the hero had to have his own conflict within the story and not just be an auxiliary character.
“We introduce him here, give him an arc, and make him a full character,” Feige said. “We don’t just give him a cameo, to wave. He has his own conflict and his own people that he’s looking out for.”
This is a Younger, More Fiery Black Panther
The Black Panther in the comics is known for being wise beyond his years, but according to Moore, this Black Panther is still learning how to be a hero.
“I think this is Black Panther in his younger years, where he maybe is a little bit more fiery than I think how they write him in the comics because he’s very much in the nascent stages of being a hero,” Moore said. “So that means he is probably more fallible than the Black Panther that you read in comics, but for reasons that are completely logical.”
“Captain America: Civil War” opens in theaters on May 6.