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It was Marvel’s turn to shine at San Diego Comic Con on Saturday evening, and they are wasting no time with providing information to their fans, starting with 2018’s ‘Black Panther‘ solo film.  Marvel big-wig Kevin Feige was on hand to not only unveil a new logo for the movie, but also to introduce us to (some of) the film’s cast.

Joining Chadwick Boseman in the title role will be an all-star cast that includes Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o, and Danai Gurira.  Jordan, most recognizable to genre fans from his turns as Adonis Johnson in ‘Creed’ and as Johnny Storm in last year’s ill-fated ‘Fantastic Four‘ film (still can’t bring myself to type ‘Fant4stic’ without giggling and sighing at the same time), will be playing Erik Killmonger, a villain that has plagued Black Panther in the comics since his first appearance back in 1973.  Nyong’o will portray Nakia, a member of a group of Wakandan “bodyguards” (as described on stage – more akin to “royal wives-in-training” in the comics) who develops an unhealthy obsession with Boseman’s T’Challa when he romantically spurns her.  In the comics, Nakia is also spurned and is eventually used by Killmonger to exact her revenge, turning into the villain known as Malice.  Gurira – well-known to genre audiences as badass kombie-killer Michonne on ‘The Walking Dead’ – will play Okoye, friend to Nakia and fellow bodyguard in training.

No specific mention was made about Ulysses Klaus, the character played by Andy Serkis in ‘The Avengers: Age of Ultron‘ who was shown to have serious ties to Wakanda.  My best guess is that he will be in the film, along with at least one other Marvel Cinematic Universe crossover star who Marvel is still keeping under wraps; after all, at the end of ‘Captain America: Civil War,’ both Bucky and Captain America are shown in a post-credits scene to be in Wakanda with T’Challa.  Might we see one or both of them featuring somewhere in the ‘Black Panther’ film?

‘Black Panther’ is scheduled to release in American theaters on July 6, 2018.

Source: Collider

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Tony Schaab misses ‘Futurama’ so much that he made himself a best friend out of a silver trash can and has daily internal debates about cutting off his head and sticking it in a jar.  A lover of most things sci-fi and horror, Tony is an author by day and a DJ by night. Come hang out with Tony on Facebook and Twitter to hear him spew semi-funny nonsense and get your opportunity to finally put him in his place.