'Black Panther': Chadwick Boseman on Why He Joined the Marvel Family

Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman, who plays King T'Challa and his jungle cat-inspired superhero alter ego, says he boarded Marvel Studios' shared universe because the role was both interesting and a challenge.

"Well, one, I mean, they have a good batting average in terms of successful films and films that people love," Boseman told journalists during a set visit last year.

The actor, who previously portrayed real-life icons Jackie Robinson and James Brown in 42 and Get On Up, said T'Challa is "just a good character. It's an interesting character."

"Because if it was somehow not as good as it is, I wouldn't want to do it. Just because it's Marvel it doesn't mean you want to do it," Boseman explained. "They tend to be offering people stuff that's interesting and good and wanting to push envelopes in certain places.

"You've never seen a movie like this before," he added, "so it's just cool."

The 41-year-old actor made his Marvel debut in 2016's Captain America: Civil War, introducing T'Challa as a man poised to be king and assuming control of his father's duties after the Wakandan king is assassinated by a scheming villain, Daniel Brühl's Zemo.

Civil War saw T'Challa consumed with a lust for revenge aimed at Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), who T'Challa believed to be the murderer, only for the hero to overcome his vendetta in favor of justice.

Boseman previously described the Wakandan king-slash-superhero as an anti-hero, saying he "has the attributes of a hero, but has difficult decisions, difficult choices."

"Sometimes there's no right answer," Boseman said. "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."

Black Panther sees T'Challa step into his father's role as leader of the tucked away kingdom of Wakanda, which will face threats both foreign and domestic.

"At times it feels like The Godfather," Boseman admitted. "It's complicated to do what's right. 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."

Black Panther opens February 16th. Boseman reprises the role a third time in Avengers: Infinity War, out May 4th.