Black Panther Finds Its Villain

Marvel has landed its villain for the upcoming film, Black Panther. Winston Duke (Person of Interest) will play the villainous M’Baku (aka Man-Ape)  opposite Chadwick Boseman.

Boseman will play T’Challa, the prince of the African nation of Wakanda, who must take over running the kingdom after his father’s murder. In the comics, M’Baku was one of Wakanda’s most powerful warriors and one of T’Challa’s biggest rivals.

Marvel had been testing several actors for the role over the past week, including actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (The Get Down), before casting Duke. Duke is relatively new to the industry, having recently graduated from the Yale School of Drama. He had recurring roles on several TV shows, including Major Crimes, The Messengers, and Person of Interest.

Marvel unveiled the character, with much fanfare, in Captain America: Civil War ahead of the highly-anticipated solo film opens on February 16, 2018.

Directed by Ryan Coogler (Creed, Fruitvale Station) from a script co-written by Coogler and Joe Robert Cole, the film also stars Michael B. Jordan, Danai Gurira, and Lupita Nyong’o.

Marvel declined to comment.