After months of anticipation, "Black Panther" is finally hitting theaters! The Marvel movie promises to provide all the action, amazing storytelling and phenomenal acting that fans want. In celebration of the Feb. 16, 2018, release of "Black Panther," Wonderwall.com is revealing the cast and characters of the epic superhero movie. Keep reading to see who's playing who in "Black Panther"…
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Chadwick Boseman stars as T'Challa aka Black Panther in "Black Panther." T'Challa is the king of the fictional African nation of Wakanda who gains enhanced strength by ingesting the Heart-Shaped Herb.
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Chadwick Boseman is no stranger to playing legendary characters. The 41-year-old actor built his resume playing historical greats such as Jackie Robinson and James Brown. Chadwick got his start with small roles on shows like "ER" and "CSI: NY" before landing his breakout role as Jackie Robinson in 2013's "42." The South Carolina native went on to star as James Brown in "Get Up," deity Thoth in "Gods of Egypt" and Thurgood Marshall in "Marshall." Fans will be able to catch Chadwick reprising his role as Black Panther in "Avengers: Infinity War" in May 2018.
Michael B. Jordan plays Erik "Killmonger" Stevens — a Wakandan exile who became an American black-ops soldier who seeks to overthrow T'Challa — in "Black Panther."
Hollywood heartthrob Michael B. Jordan has created quite a name for himself since he stepped onto the scene as a young teen on "The Wire." The 31-year-old actor starred on "All My Children" and "Friday Night Lights" before breaking onto the big screen in 2013's "Fruitvale Station." Since then, Michael has become a bona fide A-lister, starring in "That Awkward Moment" in 2014, "Creed" in 2015 and "Black Panther" in 2018.
Lupita Nyong'o stars as Nakia in "Black Panther." Nakia is T'Challa's former lover and an operative of the Dora Milaje, the all-female special forces unit of Wakanda whose members serve as T'Challa's bodyguards.
Lupita Nyong'o achieved stardom just a few short weeks after graduating from the Yale School of Drama. The stunning actress landed the role of Patsey in 2013's "12 Years a Slave" right after graduation. Lupita earned global praise and accolades for her performance — including an Oscar! The 34-year-old actress, who was named the world's most beautiful woman by People magazine in 2014, went on to star in other major films including "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," "The Jungle Book" and "Queen Katwe." In addition to her acting skills, Lupita — who's of Kenyan heritage but was born in Mexico — is also an advocate. She spoke out against sexual harassment in late 2017 after detailing an unsettling encounter with disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein.
Danai Gurira (left) plays Okoye in "Black Panther." Okoye, an extremely proud Wakandan and traditionalist from the Border Tribe, is the head of the Dora Milaje.
You may know her as kick-butt heroine Michonne on "The Walking Dead," but Danai Gurira is really a theater geek at heart. The 39-year-old actress began her career as a playwright and has been commissioned by the Yale Repertory Theatre, Center Theatre Group, Playwrights Horizons and the Royal Court. One of her Broadway plays, "Eclipsed," actually starred "Black Panther" co-star Lupita Nyong'o. Danai eventually transitioned into film and TV, starring in "Treme," "Mother George" and "All Eyez on Me." If being a playwright, producer and actress wasn't enough, Danai can also speak four languages: French, Shona, Xhosa and English!
Martin Freeman plays Everett K. Ross, a member of the CIA and a former liaison on its Joint Counter Terrorism Task Force, in "Black Panther."
There is no doubt that Martin Freeman will kill his role in "Black Panther," considering he's been flawless in every other project he's starred in. The 46-year-old British actor first made waves as Tim Canterbury in the U.K. version of "The Office." Martin went on to play Dr. John Watson on "Sherlock," Bilbo Baggins in "The Hobbit" film trilogy and Lester Nygaard on "Fargo." In between these iconic roles, he's also starred in "Love Actually," "The World's End," "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" and more. Talk about an impressive resume! In addition to his acting career, Martin is also a dad of two with ex-wife (and "Sherlock" co-star) Amanda Abbington.
Daniel Kaluuya (right) stars as W'Kabi in "Black Panther." W'Kabi, a confidant to T'Challa and his best friend, is the head of security for the Border Tribe.
Daniel Kaluuya is truly enjoying a breakout year! The 28-year-old actor rose to fame in 2017 after he was cast as Chris Washington in "Get Out." The critically acclaimed film put Daniel on the map, earning him Golden Globe, BAFTA, SAG, Critics' Choice and Academy Award nominations for best actor. Prior to "Get Out," the English actor starred on "Skins" and "Black Mirror" and in "Kick-Ass 2." When Daniel is not acting in phenomenal films, he enjoys spending time with his girlfriend, Amandla.
Letitia Wright (right) stars as Shuri — T'Challa's 16-year-old sister, a princess of Wakanda who designs new technology for the country — in "Black Panther."
You might not know who Letitia Wright is yet, but you will soon! The 24-year-old English actress has been slowly making a name for herself with supporting roles in "Doctor Who," "Humans," "Black Mirror" and "Urban Hymn." Letitia was initially inspired to get into acting after watching "Akeelah and the Bee" — a movie starring her "Black Panther" co-star Angela Bassett!
Angela Bassett (middle) stars as Ramonda, T'Challa's mother — the Queen Mother of Wakanda — in "Black Panther."
Acting royalty Angela Bassett is pretty much guaranteed to give a perfect performance in any movie she stars in. The 59-year-old stunner (we know, she looks flawless!) is perhaps best known for her work as Tina Turner in "What's Love Got to Do with It," which earned her a best actress Oscar nomination and Golden Globe win. Angela has also enjoyed celebrated roles in "Malcolm X," "Panther," "The Jacksons: An American Dream," "The Rosa Parks Story," "Notorious," "Waiting to Exhale," "American Horror Story," "Betty & Coretta" and many more projects. The New York native is not only an amazing actress, but also a loving wife to actor Courtney B. Vance — and a mother to twins!
Winston Duke (center) plays M'Baku in "Black Panther." M'Baku is a powerful, ruthless warrior who is the leader of Wakanda's mountain tribe, the Jabari, who protest T'Challa being the new king.
Tobagonian actor Winston Duke got his start in the industry through theater. The 31 year old starred in productions for the Portland Stage Company and Yale Repertory Theatre (where he befriended classmate and future co-star Lupita Nyong'o) before being cast in the CBS crime drama "Person of Interest" in 2014. Winston is still fairly new to Hollywood — "Black Panther" is his first film!
Forest Whitaker stars as Zuri, an elder statesman in Wakanda who's the keeper of the Heart-Shaped Herb.
Forest Whitaker has a long and established career in Hollywood and is known for his intensive character acting. The 56 year old has starred in a slew of award-winning films such as "Bird," "The Crying Game," "Platoon," "The Butler," "Arrival" and "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story." Forest earned critical acclaim when he played Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in the 2006 film "The Last King of Scotland." For his portrayal of the corrupt leader, Forest took home an Oscar plus BAFTA, Golden Globe, National Board of Review and SAG awards for best actor. The Texas native is also a family man: He married Keisha Nash in 1996. The couple share four children.
Andy Serkis plays Ulysses Klaue — a South African black-market arms dealer, smuggler and gangster who is allied with Killmonger — in "Black Panther."
Andy Serkis — who's perhaps best known for his motion capture, computer-generated characters — is stepping outside of the green screen for "Black Panther." The 53-year-old British actor first came to fame playing Gollum in "The Lord of the Rings" film trilogy starting in 2001. He has since starred as computer-generated character King Kong in the eponymous 2005 film, Caesar in the "Planet of the Apes" reboot series, Captain Haddock/Sir Francis Haddock in "The Adventures of Tintin," Gollum in "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" and Supreme Leader Snoke in "Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens" and "Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi." When Andy isn't working, he enjoys spending time with his wife of 16 years, Lorraine Ashbourne, and their three children.