Fans got their first taste of Chadwick Boseman's Black Panther in "Captain America: Civil War," and now movie goers are more excited than ever for the Marvel hero to receive his own standalone feature. We know that Boseman will be reprising his role under the talented eye of director Ryan Coogler ("Creed"), but outside of that, there is little known about the "Black Panther" solo movie.
One new tidbit that has emerged, however, is Marvel's apparent interest in Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong'o. The "12 Years a Slave" and "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" star is reportedly being pursued for a major role in the movie.
Nyong'o is said to be in negotiations to join "Black Panther." The specific role that she's being courted for remains a mystery, though it is described as being T'Challa's love interest. If she ends up joining the project, this would mark her third partnership with Disney in the last six month ("Star Wars," "The Jungle Book").
Black Panther was first introduced into the Marvel world in 1966, and in the ensuing 50 years, he has cycled through a handful of love interests. The most notable of these partners has been Ororo Munroe, otherwise known as Storm from the X-Men. But because the rights to those character are still owned by 20th Century Fox, we can safely put that pipe dream to bed.
Another major love interest in Black Panther's history is American singer Monica Lynne, who once rescued the Wakandan king from drowning. Monica is often described as T'Challa's "first true love," though it would be odd for the African Nyong'o to play an American rather than a fellow Wakandan.
In addition to Boseman and Nyong'o, it has also been rumored that Martin Freeman's Everett Ross may appear after making his MCU debut in "Captain America: Civil War." In the comics, his character is closely connected to T'Challa and Wakanda, so it would make sense for him to appear in the "Black Panther" standalone. More importantly, Andy Serkis' Ulysses Klau, who was introduced in "Avengers: Age of Ultron," is expected to be the primary antagonist. However, all of this remains unconfirmed at this time.
"Black Panther" will arrive in theaters on Feb. 16, 2018.
Follow Brandon Katz at @Grat_Katzby
