Whatever’s meant to be
Marvel Studios
After Story’s plans for a third film were eventually scrapped, Black Panther wouldn’t be seen on the big screen for some time — but that did give Marvel Comics a chance to bring the character into the 21st century. Writer Reginald Hudlin and artist Ken Lashley relaunched the Black Panther comic book series in 2009, passing the mantle to a woman (T’challa’s sister, Shuri) for the very first time. And, of course, there was Ta-Nehisi Coates’ and Brian Stelfreeze’s acclaimed Black Panther run, which ran pretty much parallel to the hero’s first years in the MCU.
In short, good things — or really great things — can take time. As amazing as Djimon Hounsou might have been as T’challa, it’s hard to imagine anyone but the late, great Chadwick Boseman in the role. That kind of casting happens but once in a lifetime, and though it didn’t last forever, it was certainly magic while we had it. Now that the Fantastic Four are set to make their own MCU debut very soon, there’s a chance that the new Black Panther — whoever they are — will have a role to play in their adventures as well. All’s fair in an interconnected movie franchise, after all.
Fantastic Four 3 Could Have Been Black Panther’s Big Screen Debut
Marvel Studios
By Lyvie Scott/May 19, 2022 10:03 am EST
Fantastic Four: Wakanda Forever?
It’s no secret that Story boarded “Fantastic Four” in order to finesse a Silver Surfer team-up out of the whole affair, and he planned to keep that same energy for at least one of the two other films he had planned. In an interview, Story expressed hopes of bringing Black Panther into a future Fantastic Four project — and getting Djimon Hounsou, of “Blood Diamond” and “Amistad” fame, to don the all-black vibranium-infused suit.
Whatever’s meant to be
After Story’s plans for a third film were eventually scrapped, Black Panther wouldn’t be seen on the big screen for some time — but that did give Marvel Comics a chance to bring the character into the 21st century. Writer Reginald Hudlin and artist Ken Lashley relaunched the Black Panther comic book series in 2009, passing the mantle to a woman (T’challa’s sister, Shuri) for the very first time. And, of course, there was Ta-Nehisi Coates’ and Brian Stelfreeze’s acclaimed Black Panther run, which ran pretty much parallel to the hero’s first years in the MCU.
In short, good things — or really great things — can take time. As amazing as Djimon Hounsou might have been as T’challa, it’s hard to imagine anyone but the late, great Chadwick Boseman in the role. That kind of casting happens but once in a lifetime, and though it didn’t last forever, it was certainly magic while we had it. Now that the Fantastic Four are set to make their own MCU debut very soon, there’s a chance that the new Black Panther — whoever they are — will have a role to play in their adventures as well. All’s fair in an interconnected movie franchise, after all.
In short, good things — or really great things — can take time. As amazing as Djimon Hounsou might have been as T’challa, it’s hard to imagine anyone but the late, great Chadwick Boseman in the role. That kind of casting happens but once in a lifetime, and though it didn’t last forever, it was certainly magic while we had it.
Now that the Fantastic Four are set to make their own MCU debut very soon, there’s a chance that the new Black Panther — whoever they are — will have a role to play in their adventures as well. All’s fair in an interconnected movie franchise, after all.
