With production slated to begin this coming January on Marvel’sBlack Panther, the studio has brought onPerson of IntereststarWinston Dukeas M’Baku, a.k.a. Man-Ape. This villainous character is said to have a “key role” in this adaptation. It isn’t known if Man-Ape will be aligned with the movie’s main villain,Erik Killmonger, played byMichael B. Jordan, but this casting may shed some light on a cryptic statement byLupita Nyong’o.
During Marvel’s Comic-Con presentation, the studio brought outChadwick Bosemanas T’challa, who was introduced inCaptain America: Civil Waralong with his co-starsMichael B. Jordan(Erik Killmonger),Danai Gurira(Okoye) andLupita Nyong’o(Nakia). During interviews after the presentation,Lupita Nyong’orevealed the firststory details, stating thatBlack Panther’s “leadership is threatened when two foes come together,” as T’challa seeks the help of both the CIA and the Dora Miljae. At the time, it wasn’t known who these “two foes” may be, but it’s possible that it could be Erik Killmonger and Man-Ape.
The Man-Ape character made hisMarvel Comicsdebut in Avengers #62 in March 1969, created byRoy ThomasandJohn Buscema. The character was one of Wakanda’s most powerful warriors, and a frequent rival, who aligned himself with the outlawed White Gorilla Cult, which aimed to bring Wakanda back to its earlier, more primitive state. He has also been a part of villainous groups such as Lethal Legion, Masters of Evil and, most recently, Purple Man’s group known as Villains for Hire. The report fromVarietydoes not reveal if this version of the character is affiliated with any of those groups from the comics in this movie adaptation.
Earlier this year, a new report claimed thatAvengers: Age of UltronstarAndy Serkiswill reprise his role as Wakanda native Ulysses Klaue, along withCaptain America: Civil WarstarMartin Freeman, who played Everett K. Ross. Those characters have not been confirmed yet, but the report also claimed that other Marvel Comics characters such as Monica Lynne,T’challa’s longest love interest, will also be cast, along with N’Gassi, T’challa’s adviser, Queen Divine Justice, a member of the Jabari tribe, W’kabi, T’challa’s second in command and Zuri, a close friend of T’challa.
It’s worth noting that Man-Ape was among the many characters listed in that casting call, so it’s possible that we may hear about the rest of these characters being cast soon. Others included in the casting call are Reverend Achibe, Malice and White Wolf. DirectorRyan Coogleris co-writing the script withJoe Robert Cole(American Crime Story: The People vs. O.J. Simpson). Marvel has set a August 24, 2025 release date forBlack Panther.
Marvel had tested a number of actors, includingThe Get DownstarYahya Abdul-Mateen II, before choosingWinston Duke, who recently graduated from Yale Drama School.Winston Dukeis best known for his role as Dominic in an arc on CBS’Person of Interest, and he has also had guest-starring arcs onLaw & Order: Special Victims Unit,The MessengersandMajor Crimes.Black Pantherwill mark his feature film debut.
