Wakanda Forever

Wakanda Forever

No stranger to playing icons, Chadwick Boseman changed the game with his role as Marvel superhero, Black Panther. Ahead of his latest bout in Avengers: Infinity War, we ask him about his latest iconic role and the inspirations that got him to where he is today.

Every actor dreams of the role that will turn them into a bankable star. With the smash success of Black Panther and its international box-office earnings of $1 billion and counting, Chadwick Boseman has not only attained A-list status but he's gained his own personal film franchise. Now he's back in action as T'Challa/Black Panther in AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR, the latest instalment of the Marvel Comics superhero saga.

It's a stunning triumph for Boseman, a talented actor who previously played legendary figures such as James Brown in Get On Up (2014), Jackie Robinson in 42 (2013), and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall in Marshall (2017). He's also aware that Black Panther is not only a role model and source of pride for black people, but is a watershed moment in Hollywood history by proving that a film driven by a black superhero and largely African-American cast can attract mass audiences across the globe.

"It's an inspiration to be able to play someone on the screen in whom you can recognise yourself - even in a superhero movie," Boseman says. "It's also important and enlightening for non-black viewers who can identify with heroes who don't conform to the usual stereotypes and see black people do extraordinary things. Black people regularly watch TV series and films where the majority of characters, at least on a visual level, don't correspond to their world. This (film) not only expands our cultural horizons, it's also a reflection of reality."

Boseman's Black Panther gets to see additional action in Avengers: Infinity War as he and his fellow Avengers are thrust into what Marvel is billing as their "deadliest" battle yet. The epic tale pits Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Loki (Tom Hiddleston), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), and Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) against the all-powerful Thanos ( Josh Brolin) as they attempt to thwart his quest for the Infinity Stones that would allow him to unleash unprecedented devastation on the cosmos. The film will be highlighted by both the appearance of the Guardians of the Galaxy squad and a superhero battle royale that takes place in the Black Panther's high-tech kingdom of Wakanda.

Boseman also reveals that Avengers: Infinity War was a chance for him to work even more closely with his Avengers cast mates’ films: "It's always exciting to see all these actors I've admired from watching their work outside of the Marvel universe. This is fun - it's like an All-Star game." EJ

Chad, as King T'Challa, aka the Black Panther, you get to rule over the African kingdom of Wakanda. How does a king handle being part of the Avengers team?

I don't think the Black Panther is afraid or intimidated by any of the Avengers. He's not even trying to find a spot on their team, he's carving out his own space within the Avengers and bringing along all his power and skills in his own way. He can exist without them, if he chooses to.

It must be incredibly gratifying for you to reach this kind of level as an actor and get to play a character like Black Panther that is on the verge of becoming an iconic figure? We should have seen a character like this on the screen a long time ago. But even if it took longer than it should to give Black Panther his chance to make his mark, it's still a remarkable achievement.

There's no reason why the character who gets to save the world should always be a white man. We've evolved I hope to a point beyond that. I'm very happy that kids are going to start wearing Black Panther outfits and [for them to] feel drawn to his courage and leadership is important.

When you were a kid, was Black Panther one of your favourite comics and superheroes?

No, I never really got into him. I was more of a Batman and Spiderman fan. I used to play in the trees behind my grandma's house and pretend to be Spiderman. But my real hero growing up was Muhammad Ali. He still is. I worship Ali and I like wearing T-shirts with his face on them.

Do you think Hollywood was too cautious when it came to waiting so long to make a film with a black superhero?

It just took the right people, like those in charge at Marvel, to say that the time has come to do something different. It should have happened sooner, but there were always doubters in the industry who argued that you couldn't make money with a movie that has a black hero because not enough people would be interested in seeing that. I'm sure there were a lot of people telling Marvel that the idea wouldn't work but in the end it was great that they had the courage to make the film. It's a significant moment in film history.

Do you enjoy being part of a rising group of black actors who have been achieving stardom in the industry of late?

Oh, yeah. Look at TV series like Atlanta and Insecure and Empire. Or look at Letitia Wright and Lupita N'yongo in Black Panther or actors like John Boyega in Pacific Rim: Uprising which is coming up or A Wrinkle in Time. A lot of black actors are getting opportunities that should have happened earlier and this is going to change a lot of perceptions in the industry. It's an interesting time for us to be able to get out of our boxes.

You've enjoyed tremendous success playing iconic black figures such as James Brown, Jackie Robinson, the first black baseball player, and Thurgood Marshall, the first black American Supreme Court Justice. How does Black Panther fit into that scheme?

What I'm proudest of is that every one of those characters has set a precedent of some sort. Black Panther is the first black superhero in comics and now he's the first black superhero character in the movies. The other characters I've played were real-life heroes, but people can be inspired and enlightened just as much by fictional characters and Black Panther is a leader and icon in his own right.

Which of those characters has been the most difficult for you to play?

Oh, James Brown, for sure. There were so many elements to him that were very unique. Everything about him was so distinct – his way of speaking, his singing, and his way of dancing, of course. A lot of things could have ended up going wrong. I remember my sister laughing and giving me a hard time when I told her I was going to be playing James Brown. She said: "What, you can't dance at all. How d'you think you're going to pull that off!"

When did you first decide on becoming an actor?

Actually, I never really wanted to be an actor at all. As a kid I was interested in drawing and designing. I first got my bachelor's degree in theatre at Howard University [in Washington, D.C.] and then I studied at the Digital Film Academy in New York. I started writing after one of my friends who played on my basketball team was shot and killed and my response to that was to write a play about my community.