PANTHER STEPS UP AS KING

ACTOR TELLS OF PLAYING A SUPERHERO WITH CHARACTER

After making his debut as Black Panther alongside a bevy of Marvel superheroes nearly two years ago in Captain America: Civil War, Chadwick Boseman returns to the screen in his own stand-alone film.

The South Carolina native was keen to reprise his role as T’Challa, a prince from the African nation of Wakanda who is suddenly thrust into a position of leadership after the assassination of his father. But he’s not just royalty – T’Challa also moonlights as the superhero Black Panther.

“There’s a James Bond feel to the character. I think the amount of responsibility that he has as a superhero and as a king is interesting,” Boseman says.

“There’s a lot of real world conflict that you can bring to it. So you don’t feel like you’re just playing a guy in a suit; you’re playing a conflicted, well-rounded character. If you’re going to do a superhero you want to do one where you can really act and where you can do something that’s going to make you a better artist as well. And I think culturally speaking there are not a lot of opportunities to play a black superhero. It’s breaking new ground, and to be a part of that is a special thing.”

In Black Panther, T’Challa returns home to the isolated, technologically advanced Wakanda to succeed to the throne and take his rightful place as king.

“Essentially in Civil War he spent the movie trying to avenge his father’s death. When you come into this movie, you’re seeing him actually deal with the fact that he’s gone and deal with the responsibility of becoming the new king – and whether or not he’s worthy of that,” Boseman says.

“I think picking up where we left off was one of the best things they could’ve done because it gives the character something to grapple with.”

But when a powerful old enemy reappears, T’Challa’s mettle as king – and Black Panther – is tested when he is drawn into a formidable conflict that puts the fate of Wakanda and the entire world at risk.

Director Ryan Coolger has created a rich and visually stunning world for Wakanda, mixing vibrant costumes with special effects, a killer soundtrack and a stellar supporting cast including Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman, Daniel Kaluuya, Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker and Andy Serkis.

“I wasn’t surprised by any of the cast because we had talked about most of the people that were cast,” Boseman says.

“I just hoped that they would actually get those people that we talked about. And they have, which says a lot about the property in general. It says a lot about Marvel Studios. It says a lot about the script itself.

“It’s not just stuff blowing up and people flying around or just fight scenes. It is a character piece.”

As Box Office Pro reports, Black Panther is on track to break February box office records and surpass Deadpool’s opening weekend haul two years ago.

Marvel’s newest superhero film certainly has what it takes to pull a crowd, says its star.

“You want people to walk out and say ‘wow’. You want that for all the different reasons – the performances, the spectacle, the fight scenes, all of it,” Boseman says.

“I think part of the reason you make this movie is that it changes perspective. People can see a superhero in a different light, or in a different complexion, or a different world view. So I think you also want that. But at the end of the day you just want them to be like ‘wow’ at the end.”

Black Panther opens in cinemas on Thursday.