Marvel Black Panther is one of the most anticipated films in Of 2018. The movies historic debut has generated record-breaking pre-tickets sales and its leading man Chadwick Boseman graced the cover of Time magazine, which is the first for a MCU movie to receive a Time Magazine Cover.
I WAS INVITED TO AN ALL-EXPENSE PAID TRIP TO LOS ANGELES COURTESY OF DISNEY TO ATTEND THE #BLACKPANTHEREVENT & #ABCTVEVENT IN EXCHANGE FOR MY COVERAGE. NO OTHER COMPENSATION WAS PROVIDED. ALL VIEWS SHARED ARE COMPLETELY MY OWN.
For those of you that don’t know, Mr. Boseman, plays Prince T’Challa, the new King of Wakanda. Mourning the loss of his father, T’Challa’s claim to the throne is waylaid when villains outside the country pull him out of Wakanda and lead him on an adventure that spans the globe. Pushed to the limit and burdened with the fate of a nation, T’Challa must prevail by any means necessary or risk the lives of millions of Wakandans.
Last month, I was blessed to sit in on the press junket for Black Panther where Mr. Boseman shared a few fun facts about playing the first black super hero.
Surprise Surprise
When Chadwick Boseman received the initial call from Kevin Feige for his role in Civil War he knew his part was specifically there for them to introduce his character for them to make a standalone movie for him following the film . How however his co-stars of Civil War wasn’t aware of what was going on.
“The initial phone call from Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Nate Moore and the Russo Brothers was one where they essentially said, ‘We want to bring your character into the Marvel Comic Universe – as a stand-alone, but this is the best way to introduce him in Civil War.’ So I was aware of it. And I think when I was shooting Civil War, I was not aware that other people weren’t aware that this was going to happen, because it was so – such at the forefront of my mind, you know, and when we did the introduction at El Capitan. So – I’m sorry that you didn’t know that. But at the same time, I love the fact that it’s a surprise to people.” ~ CHADWICK BOSEMAN
Call Your Mom
The producers of Marvel all wanted to work with Mr. Boseman and we’re so excited to do so the next day they got him on speakerphone even though he was in Switzerland.
“We were in Zurich, and I was coming off of the red carpet for Get On Up. And my agent was like, ‘You’ve got to get on the phone.’ And the crazy thing is I didn’t even have international calling on my phone until that morning – and I heard, literally somebody say, ‘Hey, get international on your phone. Call your mom.’ It’s some important stuff, literally, that happened, and then that night he called.” ~ CHADWICK BOSEMAN
The Next Generation
In the film Letitia Wright plays “Shuri” T’Challa’s little sister and a smart-mouthed, tech wizard. She is second-in-line for the throne behind her brother and is the smartest person in Wakanda—the top scientist and the innovator behind the Black Panther’s updated suits and technology. Chadwick shared with us his thoughts on a her being so witty.
“I think, when you talk about what Wakanda is, and what it would have to be in order to progress to the place that we saw – even though we’re talking about a fantasy – the idea of an unconquered nation, that has not been, you know, tampered with by the various means that it would have been tampered with; the idea of the next generation being smarter, being better than you – is a concept that they would have evolved to that – you know, so even though she’s – she – we’re in the same generation, she’s my younger sister – she benefits from whatever I have reached. So you want your sons and daughters to be better than you were..” ~ CHADWICK BOSEMA
Be Authentic
It was very important for Chad Bosman that his character spoke with an African accent.
“You know I think as actors this is separate from the movie, but there is, when you’re trained you’re trained very often from a European perspective. What is considered great or classical is very often British and it’s certain writers and I happen to come from a background that does not believe that, you know. I went to Oxford to study, but I went to Howard and we were taught to respect our writers and our classics just as much and believe that it takes the same skill level and same technique and sometimes techniques that are a little bit different to pull that off. And so I think you have to tell the stories and be true to yourself as an artist. And in this there’s no reason, you know, for it because there was a time period where people were asking me questions about whether or not an audience could sit through a movie with a lead character who spoke with that accent, you know. And it was not Kevin by the way, so just making sure you know that. People outside Marvel as well and so I became adamant about the fact that that is not true. That the intonations and melodies inside an African accent are just as classical as a British one or a European one and that all of the emotions and aspects of a character can be shown and expressions can be shown through that accent and we have to take this opportunity to show that and he just wouldn’t, if he had never been conquered, if his ancestors had never been conquered and he’s never been conquered and Wakanda is what it is, he doesn’t have to go to Oxford to study. He doesn’t have to go to Cambridge or Yale or any place to study. He actually got his education at home and he would not then assimilate a language that is the colonizer’s language in order to speak to his people. So he had to speak with an African accent.” ~ CHADWICK BOSEMAN
BLACK PANTHER IN THEATERS 2/16
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