Last night’s CinemaCon presentation proved to be too soon for Disney and Marvel to show off any Black Panther footage, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that Ryan Coogler’s 2018 standalone pic was relegated to the sidelines.
Amid announcements for Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales and Wreck-It Ralph 2 – it’s now known as Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2 as a cheeky wink to Kim Kardashian and the ensuing meme – the Mouse House took to the stage to officially confirm the core cast members of next year’s Black Panther movie. Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa will naturally take point for the spinoff, but we now understand Letitia Wright is attached to the part of Shuri, T’Challa’s young sister and a key member of the Wakandan royal family. Elsewhere, Danai Gurira is on board as Okoye, a member of the formidable Dora Milaje, with Lupita Nyong’o prepped and ready to appear as Nakia, a former ally to Boseman’s would-be king who switches sides mid-way through the movie.
They’re all part of Black Panther‘s enviable ensemble, one that also makes room for Michael B. Jordan as the villainous Killmonger, Daniel Kaluuya, Angela Bassett, Winston Duke, Florence Kasumba, Sterling K. Brown, John Kani and Rogue One star Forest Whitaker. He’ll play Zuri, an old ally to T’Challa.
Down below you’ll be able to take a closer look at the film’s confirmed lineup, via Twitter:
Black Panther! (Coming next February) pic.twitter.com/W0wXBWSPpm
— Eric Vespe (@EricVespe) March 29, 2017
Still incubating in production, Black Panther is currently lensing in the South Korean city of Busan, where Coogler and his extensive team are busy capturing a massive car chase sequence involving close to 150 cars and upwards of 700 people. Leaked set photos confirmed as much last week, but you’ll be able to take a peek at the first official picture (see above) for an HD tease of what to expect on February 16th, 2018.