Chadwick Boseman On Why He Sees Black Panther As An Antihero

Fans were introduced to the new King of Wakanda during Captain America: Civil War, but he served primarily as an antagonist to Steve Rogers and his allies for most of the movie.

Though Black Panther is technically considered a superhero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, actor Chadwick Boseman said he considers the character to be an anti-hero during an interview with CNET.

“He has the attributes of a hero, but has difficult decisions, difficult choices. Sometimes there’s no right answer,” said Boseman. Everybody has heard the line, ‘It’s hard for a good man to be king.’ I think there’s a sense of all the complications of being a good leader.”

The actor’s comments touch on the politics that will play out at the heart of Black Panther, which is shaping up to be unlike any other movie Marvel Studios has produced to date.

“At times it feels like The Godfather. It’s complicated to do what’s right,” Boseman added. “It’s complicated to follow the traditions. It’s complicated to do something new. It’s complicated when you have to deal with who should live and who should die. Sometimes you have to do bad things or you maybe need to do bad things so there’s justice, so there’s peace.”

While Boseman teased some complex themes in the movie, he promised that it very much belongs in the Marvel universe.

“It is definitely a superhero movie. There are going to be action scenes, and some stuff is going to blow up,” Boseman said with a laugh. “The thing I love about Marvel in general is that they deal with people. They deal with the human being first: Who is inside the suit? Who is the person that obtained this power or this ability?”

And while T’Challa is a hero and a protector, the character is still a king with a responsibility to his people, as Boseman makes clear.

“This movie is about how you use power. What do you do when you get power? In this case, you’re talking about someone taking the throne,” Boseman said. “But all superhero movies are about a person who has extreme power. They can disappear. They do tricks or they can jump really high. Whatever it is, that ability gives them an advantage. The only difference between a hero and the villain is that the villain chooses to use that power in a way that is selfish and hurts other people.”

Black Panther premieres in theaters February 16, 2018.