A Black Panther film is once again in motion at Marvel Studios, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Documentarian Mark Bailey has been hired to write the screenplay.
The character has been in and out of various stages of early development as a feature since 1992, when actor Wesley Snipes announced intentions to star as the title character. Snipes, who played fellow Marvel character Blade in three movies, was attached to the character for years. Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige announced Black Panther as part of the company’s development slate back in 2007, though talk had died down in recent years.
Bailey’s credits include documentaries Pandemic: Facing AIDS and Ghosts of Abu Ghraib. His most recent project is an adaptation of non-fiction book The Last of the Tribe: The Epic Quest to Save a Lone Man in the Amazon, to be helmed by The Bourne Identity director Doug Liman. The film rights to Black Panther were acquired by Marvel in 2005.
January 20th, 2011 at 5:11 pm
they need to get Christopher Priest, Reggie Hudlin, involved with the film, and get to casting ASAP.
January 20th, 2011 at 5:18 pm
Cast Chiwetel Ejiofor in the lead. He would be flat-out awesome as T’Challa.
January 20th, 2011 at 6:24 pm
Neill Blomkamp needs to direct this.
January 20th, 2011 at 7:36 pm
This should be great! I wonder who they will get to be the lead. Method Man!
January 20th, 2011 at 10:12 pm
PLEASE GET MICHEAL JA WHITE!!! NOONE ELSE IS WORTHY LIKE HE IS!
January 20th, 2011 at 10:27 pm
MACHAEL JA WHITE!!! I’m sorry… did you not see Spawn!!
January 20th, 2011 at 11:47 pm
Great, make a movie on a superhero most people don’t give a damn, just so Marvel can make another crappy movie. Why don’t Marvel just make a movie about Squirrel Girl while they are at it.
January 21st, 2011 at 3:16 am
Squirrel Girl? Wow. I would LOVE a Great Lakes Avengers movie, actually. Get Dan Slott as a consultant though.
That movie would rock. Ha, dark humor superhero movie…
January 21st, 2011 at 7:12 am
@U-mann
I’m right there with you. Chiwetel Ejiofor would be massive for the role. But please Marvel Studios, not Will Smith. Love him
to death, but not for this role.
January 21st, 2011 at 8:09 am
Ten years ago, I would have said that Laurence Fishburne, not Wesley Snipes, would be the perfect T’Challa, but a bit too much time has past. You need an actor with not just physical presence, but actual gravitas. Someone with Poiter’s stateliness. Neither Snipes or Smith, from what I’ve seen in the past, could carry this role.
I don’t know. Terrance Howard, maybe? (Although, after getting burned already by Marvel Studios, an unlikely prospect. His ego would need a lot of salve — i.e. bigger paycheque.)
Cheadle’s got the acting chops, but not the physique.
Is Denzel still young enough to play him? Or do we need an unknown?
I have to disagree with getting Reggie Hudlin as a consultant. His take was too BET for my tastes (and yes, I’m aware of what Hudlin’s day job was when writing the Panther comic). Now, getting Christopher Priest and Don McGregor in the same room to dissect the Panther, though? That’s a BP fan’s wet dream.
January 21st, 2011 at 8:12 am
Idris Elba might also be a good choice (and already has a working relationship with Marvel Studios). I’ve seen him play “icey” very well — I don’t know how well that’d translate into “poised.”
January 21st, 2011 at 8:25 am
Huh. Based on your recommendations here, I googled Chiwetel Ejiofor’s info. Having no knowledge of the man (with the exception of his appearance in Serenity), he does have a good look, and a very impressive body of work. Sight unseen, he’s got the credentials you’d want from a solid choice.
January 21st, 2011 at 11:39 am
Ejiofor for black panther, save Idris Elba for Luke Cage.
January 21st, 2011 at 12:43 pm
J Lee Says:
“Great, make a movie on a superhero most people don’t give a damn, just so Marvel can make another crappy movie. ”
Yet, Blade was successful at the box office…
January 21st, 2011 at 2:52 pm
@ J Lee: Oh, you could also say that “Iron Man” was not exactly a household name either and look how that workd out…Pretty baseless statement there.
A BP movie could be great or it could be bad, just like ANY movie of ANY genre.
Also, if Marvel made a good movie and is able to showcase some of their more “diverse” heroes to a larger audience that would be a VERY GOOD THING.
Squirrel Girl could make for a great Pixar film…
Stop the needless hate dude.
January 21st, 2011 at 3:53 pm
finaly its about time the black pather curse gets broken after all the time its taken for Marvel to bring Tchalla to the big screen. as for who should play him. they should really see if the guy who played Mr. Eko on lost is still interested. or samual jackson step out of being Nick fury for a bit. though thought black panther rights would have been tied up at fox as part of the fantastic four .
January 21st, 2011 at 6:43 pm
Agree with Chiwetel Ejiofor as T’Challa. Mr. Eko (Akinnuoye-Agbaje) as Killmonger’
January 22nd, 2011 at 7:16 am
It’s about time that they got around to this! The Black Panther is an excellent character, and I really think they should adapt the Hudlin/Romita Jr. stories (as they did with the BET motion comic) as it is such a powerful introduction to the character. In the end, I think the movie will probably most resemble Crocodile Dundee’s “fish out of water” theme, as it would start in the character’s homeland (in this case, Wakanda), with the second half taking place in New York.
January 22nd, 2011 at 8:32 am
Djimon Honsou…even if you didn’t like “Never Back Down”, the guy has a great physique and he’s AFRICAN…how the hell has this gone over everyone’s heads?!
January 22nd, 2011 at 8:40 am
Finally, a BP movie…this could make the marvel universe expand on a serious level…if marvel ever get the rights to X-men bak we could possibly see BP and Storm get together and that would connect Avengers and the X-men…finally Im gonna see my fav character on the silver screen…and Terrance Howard?? please stop speaking nonsense about a character you have no idea about…Idris Elba is actually a better choice for T’Challa than Chiwetel Ejiofor and thats because of the fact that T’challa isn’t old…jus because he’s african doesn’t mean he’s perfect for the role…your underlying racism is killin me…google pictures and dipictions of T’Challa and tell me if Ejiofor actually meets the requirements for the role…i wont complain if he got it but theres a lot of talent out there for the role…look up Mehcad Brooks…good actor for the role and he fits the body type and all…
January 22nd, 2011 at 3:08 pm
It is about time they got back to this movie. I do not see Chiwetel Ejiofor as the T’Challa. I think the Derek Luke, Mechad Brooks or some other younger talented actor with the physique to match. Idris Elba or Djimon Honsou would better choices as T’Chaka who was murdered leaving him a YOUNG prince soon to be king. These actors are good but beyond the age to play the character believably within the regular story line. You shouldn’t choose someone just because he is African or tall and dark skinned but one can pull of the role realistically for those who do and don’t know the mythos character.
Please keep Reggie Hudlin away from this film…not writing of screenplays or consultation. His run sucked and the numbers proved it. It was cliched disaster for me.
January 24th, 2011 at 12:56 pm
@ Lando: Best post so far.
I cant see Ejiofor carrying the sort of presence required for T’challa. The other guys are too old. Samuel L??? Are you serious??
I can get on board definitely with Luke or Brooks.
January 24th, 2011 at 1:51 pm
Most of the names I have seen here would be too old for my taste to play BP. I think Gbenga Akinnagbe who played Chris Partlow on The Wire would be great to play T’Challa.
I agree on Djimon Honsou to play T’Chaka.
August 15th, 2011 at 12:12 pm
I was brain storming, because i really love the black panther character and would like them to do him justice on the big screen (like what nolan did with Batman), when my buddy came up with a great idea for the actor and I for the director. His name is sean blackmore from General Hospital (soap opera). he’s not gorgeous but we believe he can carry the role to a tee!! looks, body wise, voice, the whole nine yard!! As for the director… I was going for the director of District 9! He is great at showing action and filming gritty, real world issues, with a great sense of realism! Also, the budget can be respectably low, considering… the lead actor is not world wide known and the director is known to push the envelope with a small budget (effects, etc). Food for thought…