Why Klaw Has an Accent in ‘Black Panther’

Ulysses Klaue will carry his accent from Avengers: Age of Ultron over to Black Panther after being thoroughly developed by actor Andy Serkis.

Serkis, who debuted in the part in the second Avengers movie back in 2015, opened up about the accent he sports in Black Panther while talking to press on the set of the upcoming Marvel Studios film.

“We decided that Klaue, we would make him South African, a very strong Afrikaans, quite bullish,” Serkis said. “Edging towards not being a politically correct person, he’d fit in the White House quite perfectly. I didn’t say that! … or, in fact, in Britain at the moment.”

The accent, however, will be more than just a characteristic. If Serkis’ description is any indication, it will also serve as a tool and advantage for the film’s villain. “It was quite a smart decision, I think,” Serkis said. “It gives him a real edge. Also, because of the relationship to Wakanda as well, a misunderstood African nation, it fits very well politically that he was of South African descent at a time when, of course, he grew up through Apartheid.”

The accent is slightly different from that of Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa. Boseman developed his own accent for his Captain America: Civil War appearance, which his titular hero in Black Panther will carry once again. Several other cast members adopted it, dubbing it the Wakandan accent.

Black Panther stars Chadwick Boseman, Andy Serkis, Danai Gurira, Lupita Nyong’o, Michael B. Jordan, Angela Bassett, and Letitia Wright. It is directed by Ryan Coogler, best known for his work on Fruitvale Station and Creed. After the death of his father, the King of Wakanda, returns home to the isolated, technologically advanced African nation to succeed to the throne and take his rightful place as king.

Black Panther opens in theaters on February 16, 2018, with advanced tickets available for purchase online now.