Michael B. Jordan In ‘Black Panther’ Film: Which Villain Will He Portray?

Wakandan King, multi-billionaire, and crime fighter, T’Challa a.k.a. Black Panther is the fan favorite from Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War. It’s the first time the character is featured on-screen, and a solo film is slated for release in 2018. Another first for Black Panther is a rise in comic sales. According to Comicbook Resources, the Black Panther comic was the number one selling comic for the month of April with an estimated 253,258 units sold. Seems like his film presence really made a great impression on fans.

Actor Michael B. Jordan is the latest addition to the Black Panther film. He will re-team with Creed director Ryan Coogler on the project, as well as act alongside Chadwick Bosman and Oscar-winning actress Lupita N’yongo. Coogler is co-writing the Black Panther script with Joe Cole, who he first worked with on the film Fruitvale Station.

Jordan is no stranger to superhero movies. In 2015, he starred as Johnny Storm in the failed Fantastic 4 reboot. Polygon talks about a sequel with the original film cast, but it seems Jordan has jumped ship from Fox and has joined the Marvel ranks. That is a bit unclear, as there has been no official word from Jordan or Fox on whether his contract is up.

Since the Black Panther film is in pre-production and Michael B. Jordan is cast, speculation has risen as to what character Jordan will play. The Hollywood Reporter states that Jordan will play a villain in the movie, but there has been no comment from Marvel as to which villain. The studio has been tight-lipped about the whole ordeal but MovieWeb has narrowed it down to a small list of Marvel villains Jordan could play in his Black Panther film debut.

WHITE WOLF

Hunter, a.k.a. White Wolf, is the adopted brother of T’Challa, and head of the Wakandan special police force. Due to their violent tactics, the police force is disbanded by T’Challa and this leaves Hunter very angry. This sibling rivalry makes sense, and the backstory could benefit from being fleshed out in a cinematic setting. There are many elements of their brotherly relationship that the comics don’t address that the movie can.

SALAMANDER K’RUEL
Villain and Erik Kilmonger lackey, Salamander K’Ruel, would be a formidable foe for Black Panther. In the comics, he has gotten the better of T’Challa on a few occasions. However, K’Ruel isn’t that interesting of a character and is a considered minor in terms of story. For K’ruel to have a meaningful role in the films, they would need to beef up his backstory.

ERIK KILMONGER

Kilmonger is the most well known Black Panther villain. N’Jadaka is his previous name before he was exiled from Wakanda. He is seeking revenge on T’challa for his exile, so this character is perfect Michael B. Jordan to portray in Black Panther.

ARCADE
Arcade is a floating villain. He has appeared all over the Marvel comic universe. He is a contract killer that uses dangerous games and traps to defeat his enemies. While this is a possibility, it isn’t likely this is who Jordan will play. But, featuring Arcade would be an interesting dynamic for the Wakanda superhero.

JOHNNY STORM
This is a wild card option for several reasons. In the comics, Black Panther has beaten the Fantastic Four at their own game. Five years ago, no one would have believed that film studios would be open to lending out their characters, but with the introduction of Spider-Man (a Sony property) debuting in Captain America: Civil War, maybe in an attempt to save what’s left of the Fantastic 4 franchise, Fox has loaned out Johnny Storm to Marvel. Just a thought.

[Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images]