Ever since it was announced that ‘Black Panther’ would be a part of Marvel Studios’ Phase Three, a number of extremely talented cast members have been added to the production. From T’Challa himself Chadwick Boseman to Michael B. Jordan’s villainous Erik Killmonger to a number of amazing ladies such as Angela Bassett, Lupita Nyong’o, and Danai Gurira, Ryan Coogler’s upcoming superhero film is really coming together. And now that production has officially begun, we finally have confirmation of one star’s participation in the movie that was only assumed up until this point.
Marvel.com recently released a statement to announce that shooting had begun on ‘Black Panther’. In the press release, they included an updated cast list for the highly anticipated film about Wakanda’s warrior king and it featured the name Andy Serkis. You may recognize that name as the legendary performance capture pioneer from such movies as ‘Lord of the Rings’, ‘Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’, and more, but he also appeared in ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ as Ulysses Klaue. Since the character has a long history with the Panther and the country of Wakanda in the comics, many True Believers expected Klaue to show up to oppose T’Challa in his first solo feature. However, the announcement is the first time that Serkis was officially discussed in relation to this project. He’ll join Jordan’s Killmonger and Winston Duke’s M’Baku AKA Man-Ape as the film’s primary antagonists. While it’s currently unknown what their evil schemes or motivations are, it probably a safe bet that Klaue is after vibranium, a precious metal found in Wakanda that absorbs vibrations and kinetic energy.
Are you excited to officially hear that Andy Serkis in taking part in ‘Black Panther’? How do you think Ulysses Klaue will factor into the plot of T’Challa’s first solo film? Share your thoughts and theories in the comments below.
‘Black Panther’ starring Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman, Daniel Kaluuya, Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker, Winston Duke, and Andy Serkis hits theaters on February 16, 2018.
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