Chadwick Boseman Explains How Guardians of Galaxy Audition Led to Black Panther Casting

While fans know Chadwick Boseman as the Marvel Cinematic Universe‘s Black Panther, they may not know part of the story of how he made his way to the role as T’Challa. Last week, the actor revealed that he originally auditioned to play Drax the Destroyer in Guardians of the Galaxy, but it turns out that not getting the part — Dave Bautista would go on to snag that role — wasn’t the end of the story. According to Boseman, that audition is a key part of what led him to be the King of Wakanda.

During a recent appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Boseman spoke a bit about that audition and while he admitted that he didn’t go into it thinking he was going to get it, he also said that the audition was the gateway for him becoming Black Panther down the road.

“It was just good to come in and play and see what they did with it,” Boseman said of his audition. “Sometimes that’s the way it works as an actor. You go in knowing you’re not going to get it, but you know you’re meeting the people that are going to be like ‘He’s not this, but we’ll put him in this other thing.’ I feel like that was one of the moments where they were like ‘We can use him later.’”

And utilize Bosemen’s talents later they did. Four years after Guardians debuted and two years after the character’s first appearance in Captain America: Civil War, Boseman starred in Black Panther. The film not only was a massive box office success for Marvel, but it also achieved critical acclaim and became the first superhero film to ever be nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. It’s success that will certainly be a challenge to live up to with Black Panther 2, but Boseman recently told MTV International that he’s hopeful that they can maintain the foundations et with the first film and keep building on what the first film created.

“I think you know, hopefully we can maintain the foundation that we sort of set and build upon it and expand it and explore it. That’s what I hope,” Boseman said. “But I think first you have to maintain the foundation. We built a culture and a world, so you have to make sure that you keep that in place.”

Are you surprised that Boseman’s Drax audition led to Black Panther? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Black Panther II opens May 6, 2022.

Upcoming Marvel Studios projects include Black Widow on May 1, 2020, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier in Fall of 2020, The Eternals on November 6, 2020, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings on February 12, 2021, WandaVision in Spring 2021, Loki in Spring 2021, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness on May 7, 2021, What If…? In Summer 2021, Hawkeye in Fall 2021, and Thor: Love and Thunder on November 5, 2021. Other MCU properties without release dates include Ms. Marvel, Moon Knight, and She-Hulk.