Forrest Whitaker Says ‘Black Panther’ Will Take Us Into Outer Space

Considering the surplus of talented actors appearing in Marvel Studios‘ latest movie, one could almost be forgiven in the case of forgetting Forrest Whitaker. ALMOST.

The actor recently spoke with Variety about Black Panther, teasing what fans can expect when Ryan Coogler‘s take on the King of Wakanda finally hits theaters next month.

“It’s a unique piece. It’s a cultural piece. I think people are waiting to find something new to be able to live in, and this superhero from Africa who is in this society and trying to fix the world is something that people have not received before,” said Whitaker. “I think Ryan is a great director, so there’s always going to be some social conscience inside of it, and at the same time the action and things we haven’t seen.”

The Academy Award-winning actor praised Coogler’s talents behind the lens while teasing that fans can expect yet another trip to the cosmos in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which could lead to even more major developments on the march to Avengers: Infinity War.

“We’re gonna see not only travel things but things that take us into outer space and things that take us into the James Bond space. It’s a really unique amalgamation of different things that come together in an exciting way,” Whitaker said.

While we should temper our expectations until we get the receipts, this is the first indication that the Black Panther movie will be heading into cosmic territory — but it’s not entirely without merit. Wakanda is the most advanced nation on the planet, so a space program wouldn’t be out of the realm of believability.

Whitaker is excited for the movie to finally release in theaters, offering a new look into the Marvel Cinematic Universe that fans have been waiting years for.

“First time we saw it just as a cast… after it, everybody leaped up to their feet, literally. Some of them were in tears, we were so excited about what was actually occurring. I think that people have that same excitement around the movie. I’m expecting something great for the cast, something great for the world, something great for Ryan.”

Black Panther premieres in theaters on February 16th.