Black Panther is a 2018 American superhero film based on the
Marvel Comics character of the same name. Produced by Marvel Studios and
distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is the eighteenth film
in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). It is directed by Ryan Coogler, written
by Coogler and Joe Robert Cole, and stars Chadwick Boseman as T'Challa / Black
Panther, alongside Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Martin
Freeman, Daniel Kaluuya, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, Angela Bassett, Forest
Whitaker, and Andy Serkis. In Black Panther, T'Challa returns home as king of
Wakanda but finds his sovereignty challenged by a long-time adversary, in a
conflict with global consequences.
Wesley Snipes mentioned his intention to work on a Black
Panther film in 1992, and the project developed through several iterations over
the decade, but did not come to fruition. A Black Panther film was announced as
one of ten based on Marvel characters to be developed by Marvel Studios and distributed
by Paramount Pictures in September 2005, with Mark Bailey hired to write a
script in January 2011. Black Panther was officially announced in October 2014,
with Boseman first appearing in the role in Captain America: Civil War. By the
end of 2015, Cole and Coogler had both joined, and additional cast members came
on board beginning in May 2016, making it the first Marvel film with a
predominantly black cast. Principal photography took place from January to
April 2017, at EUE/Screen Gems Studios in the Atlanta metropolitan area, and
Busan, South Korea.
Black Panther premiered in Los Angeles on January 29, 2018,
and was released theatrically in the United States on February 16, 2018, in
IMAX and 3D. It received praise for the visuals, screenplay, characters,
direction, costume design, action sequences, soundtrack, and performances, with
some calling it one of the best films set in the MCU and noting its cultural
significance. It has grossed over $404 million worldwide, and its domestic
opening weekend of $201.8 million was the fifth-highest of all-time and also
set the record for biggest debut by an African American director.
Casts
* Chadwick Boseman as T'Challa / Black
Panther:
The king of the
fictional African nation of Wakanda, who gains enhanced strength by ingesting
the Heart-Shaped Herb. After the events of Captain America: Civil War, and the
death of his father T'Chaka, T'Challa is in mourning while ascending to the
throne. Boseman, who called T'Challa an anti-hero, said that he is "very
much aware of [his] responsibility" as the leader of Wakanda.
Black Panther's suit
that forms around his body was inspired by a similar design seen in Ta-Nehisi
Coates' Black Panther comic book run. Boseman worked with the same dialect
coach he had during Message from the King, and worked with Marrese Crump to
stay in shape between Civil War and Black Panther. He signed a five-film
contract with Marvel. Ashton Tyler plays a young T'Challa.
* Michael B. Jordan as N'Jadaka / Erik
"Killmonger" Stevens:
The son of N'Jobu,
and a U.S. black-ops soldier who seeks to overthrow T'Challa. Executive
producer Nate Moore said Killmonger "has his own opinion on how Wakanda
has been run and should [be] run". Jordan, who had "been wanting to play
a villain for a while," likened Killmonger and T'Challa's relationship to
the X-Men characters Magneto and Professor X. He added that Killmonger is "very
strategic, thoughtful. He's very patient. Very well skilled, trained to a
T." Killmonger's bumpy, ritualistic tribal markings on his chest and torso
resemble the scar tattoos of the Mursi and Surma tribes, and consisted of 90
individually sculpted silicone molds that took two-and-a-half hours to apply.
His dreadlocks hairstyle was a modern take on the character's long hair in the
comics. Corey Calliet served as Jordan's trainer on the film, after also doing
so on Creed. Seth Carr plays a young Killmonger.
* Lupita Nyong'o as Nakia:
T'Challa's former
lover and a War Dog, an undercover spy for Wakanda placed in other countries to
complete missions. She is from the River
Tribe. Nyong'o called Nakia a "departure" from her comic counterpart.
She begins the film fighting for
enslaved women in Nigeria; Nyong'o learned to speak Hausa for certain scenes in
the film. She also trained in judo, jujitsu, silat and Filipino martial arts.
* Danai Gurira as
Okoye:
An "extremely
proud" Wakandan and traditionalist from the Border Tribe, who is the head
of the Dora Milaje, the all-female special forces of Wakanda, who serve as T'Challa's
bodyguards. When looking to cast Gurira,
director Ryan Coogler had not seen The Walking Dead, in which Gurira portrays
the popular character Michonne, and instead wanted her for the part because of
her performance in Mother of George. Gurira said that the fighting skills she
learned playing Michonne complemented the skills of Okoye, but that
"there's a lot of ways that they're extremely different ... Okoye is a
whole 'nother thing." Gurira described the Dora Milaje as a secret service
that is "also very much about intel. It's not just military," with
Okoye the head of intel. Regarding Okoye's stoic demeanor, Gurira said,
"She can be serious, but she also has an unexpected sense of humor. She
has a heart, but for her country and for her people."
* Martin Freeman as Everett K. Ross:
A member of the
CIA and former liaison of its Joint Counter Terrorism Task Force. Freeman said
that Ross "has an uneasy peace with T'Challa", and that he "goes
on a strange journey, an enlightening journey to Wakanda." Unlike his
comic book counterpart, who mainly served as comic relief, Freeman and the
filmmakers sought to turn this version of Ross into a more capable agent in
terms of diplomacy and combat.
* Daniel Kaluuya as W'Kabi: A
confidant to T'Challa and his best friend, who is the head of security for the
Border Tribe, serving as the first line of defense for Wakanda.
* Letitia Wright as Shuri:
T'Challa's
16-year-old sister and the princess of Wakanda who designs new technology for
the country. Wright described her as
"an innovative spirit and an innovative mind" who "wants to take
Wakanda to a new place... [and] has a great fashion sense". Wright also
felt Shuri was a good role model for young black girls. Moore called Shuri the
smartest person in the world, even more so than Tony Stark.
* Winston Duke as M'Baku:
A powerful, ruthless
warrior who is the leader of Wakanda's mountain tribe, the Jabari, who are in
protest to T'Challa being the new king. Duke described the Jabari as people who
"strongly believe that to move forward, you have to have a strong
adherence and respect for the past. So they have a deep moral conscience."
Character elements from Christopher Priest's 1998-2003 Black Panther series
were adapted for M'Baku's portrayal in the film. M'Baku is not referred to in
the film by his comics alter ego "Man-Ape", since Marvel felt there
were "a lot of racial implications that don't sit well" in having a
black character dress up as an ape. This aspect of the character was instead
reworked to have the Jabari tribe that M'Baku is the leader of worship the
gorilla gods, with M'Baku still wearing elements of fur on his arms and legs
and a chest-plate that hints at the gorilla. Moore continued, "Man-Ape is
a problematic character for a lot of reasons, but the idea behind Man-Ape we
thought was really fascinating ... It's a line I think we're walking, and hopefully
walking successfully." To further differentiate the Jabari, Duke spoke a
version of the Nigerian Igbo language rather than the Xhosa language spoken by
other Wakandans.
* Angela Bassett as Ramonda:
T'Challa's mother and Queen Mother of
Wakanda Boseman noted that Ramonda
"is one of the advisors that [T'Challa] would look to... for some of the
answers of what his father might want or might do. She may not be exactly right
all the time, but she definitely has insights." Bassett wore a silver,
waist-length wig for the role that was made from 120 pieces of hair hand-rolled
into dreadlocks. Calliet also served as Bassett's trainer, working with her
before she began filming, and while she was on set, by creating high-intensity
interval training circuits and helping to craft her diet.
* Forest Whitaker as Zuri:
An elder statesman
in Wakanda, and the keeper of the heart-shaped herb. Coogler called Zuri a
religious and spiritual figure, and a way to reference the spirituality within
Wakanda from the comics. He also added that Zuri "is a major tie
back" to T'Chaka for T'Challa, and is "Black Panther's version of
Obi-Wan Kenobi." Denzel Whitaker, who is not related to Forest, plays a
young Zuri.
* Andy Serkis as Ulysses Klaue:
A South African
black-market arms dealer, smuggler and gangster, who is allied with Killmonger.
He uses a piece of advanced Wakandan mining equipment as a sonic disruptor
arm-cannon. Boseman described Klaue as a threat to Wakanda, one of the few
outsiders to enter the country, and someone with access to vibranium, comparing
him to Osama bin Laden. Serkis added that in addition to his desire for
vibranium, Klaue is motivated by a "personal" vendetta against
T'Challa, and "to expose what he thinks is the hypocrisy of Wakanda."
Additionally, John Kani and Florence Kasumba reprise their
respective roles of T'Chaka and Ayo from Captain America: Civil War, with Kani's
son Atandwa portraying a young T'Chaka. Sterling K. Brown plays N'Jobu,
T'Chaka's brother and Killmonger's father, who is a War Dog sent to America.
Wakandan elders in the film include Isaach de Bankolé for the River Tribe,
Connie Chiume for the Mining Tribe, Dorothy Steel for the Merchant Tribe, and
Danny Sapani for the Border Tribe. Sydelle Noel appears as Xoliswa, a member of
the Dora Milaje, with other members played by Marija Abney, Janeshia
Adams-Ginyard, Maria Hippolyte, Marie Mouroum, Jénel Stevens, Zola Williams,
Christine Hollingsworth, and Shaunette Renée Wilson. Nabiyah Be initially
announced that she was playing criminal Tilda Johnson, but her character was
simply named Linda in the final film due to Gabrielle Dennis being cast as
Johnson in the second season of Luke Cage. Black Panther co-creator Stan Lee
has a cameo in the film as a patron in the South Korean casino, and Sebastian
Stan has an uncredited cameo reprising his role as Bucky Barnes in a
post-credits scene.
| Sydelle Noel as Xoliswa |
| John Kani as T'Chaka |
| Issach de Bankole as River Tribe Elder |
| Atandwa Kani as T'Chaka |
No comments:
Post a Comment