Captain America: Civil War star Chadwick Boseman is psyched for how many little kids will be decked out in his Black Panther costume and having their own adventures as the masked Wakandan warrior.
“When I got the movie, that was the first thing I thought about,” says Boseman, who also counts having a Black Panther Twitter emoji as one of his favorite superhero perks. “That’s pretty dope.”
Brandishing sharp claws and agile moves, Boseman's T’Challa makes his Marvel superhero debut in Civil War (previews start Thursday night) before spinning off into his own solo adventures in Black Panther, directed by Ryan Coogler (Creed) and slated for a Feb. 16, 2018, release.
The prince of Wakanda's introduction to the Marvel Cinematic Universe isn’t an easy one: A tragedy befalls his royal family during a terrorist attack, and when the Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) is blamed, Black Panther suits up to go after him. The situation aligns him politically with Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) but puts T’Challa in battle against Captain America (Chris Evans).
“He could really care less what Cap feels, what Tony feels,” says producer Kevin Feige. “He’s fresh eyes to their arguments and relationships (and) an equal with some of the power players, but has his own point of view about what’s going on.”
Boseman, 39, digs the character not only because he’s a dynamic protagonist but also because the actor and T’Challa share personality traits, including a strong moral base.
But Black Panther makes a point to shroud those qualities, and there’s always a mystery to his actions, says Boseman.
"You could be having a great time with him at a party, and all of a sudden he disappears and no one knows where he is,” the actor says with a laugh. “It puts him in a position where he’s always going to be misunderstood by people. I love that aspect because it creates a dark side to him.”
As cool as Black Panther’s personality and abilities are, a lot of his role in Civil War is laying groundwork for his own franchise. “I felt a constant anticipation of what’s to come while doing this, which is a beautiful thing," Boseman says. "You always know this is going to get better and better.”
Boseman talks with Coogler weekly about the upcoming Black Panther movie and calls it “a good partnership.” Both have a lot of passion for the character, but Boseman acknowledges that “it’s going to be a very difficult thing to pull off and you only do this if you’re willing to go for broke with it.”
The actor, who previously starred as Jackie Robinson in 42 and James Brown in Get On Up, also returns this month to filming the Thurgood Marshall biopic Marshall. To play the Supreme Court justice as a young attorney, Boseman has had to adjust his workout regime, continuing with the fight training to stay in superhero shape but cutting down on weights.
“I don’t want Thurgood Marshall to have a big swollen neck and shoulders like Black Panther. He really worked out in law school,” Boseman quips.
