Marvel’s Black Panther is played by Chadwick Boseman, who debuted in Captain America: Civil War in 2016 before headlining his own film in 2018. But the role almost went to another Marvel star. Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje played the Dark Elf villain Kurse in 2014’s Thor: The Dark World. He almost pulled double duty in the Marvel Cinematic. While promoting the new film Farming — which he wrote, directed, and stars in — Akinnuoye-Agbaje revealed to Yahoo Movies UK that he was at one point in talks with Marvel about playing Black Panther. “I think we were at a point where we had discussions [with Marvel] about other things I would like to pursue and I took a meeting [about Black Panther],” he says. “As an actor, you do these meetings and some of them go somewhere, but some of them don’t.”
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While the role went to Boseman, Akinnuoye-Agbaje is pleased that Marvel made the film at all. “What I can say is that, having seen the latest rendition, I’m just happy that it came out,” he says, “The impact it has had in the industry in convincing them that there is a palatable black audience for black films has only strengthened the audience for a film like Farming.”
Akinnuoye-Agbaje also played a role in the DC Extended Universe, transforming into Batman villain Killer Croc for David Ayer’s 2016 Suicide Squad movie. James Gunn will put his own spin on the DC Comics concept in 2021’s The Suicide Squad. The film features several cast members returning from the original movie, but Akinnuoye-Agbaje says he won’t be one of them. “I don’t think I need to [do it again], to be honest,” Akinnuoye-Agbaje said. “I did it, I enjoyed it, it bought me a Bentley and I will keep moving on.”
What do you think of Akinnuoye-Agbaje coming so close to playing Black Panther in the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Let us know how you feel about it in the comments.
Upcoming Marvel Studios projects include Black Widow on May 1, 2020, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier in fall 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, Spider-Man 3 on July 16, 2021, What If? In summer 2021, Hawkeye in fall 2021, Thor: Love and Thunder on November 5, 2021, and Black Panther 2 on May 6, 2022. Ms. Marvel, Moon Knight, and She-Hulk are also in the works for Disney+.
