“Black Panther” hits theaters this weekend, and the new Marvel superhero movie is gearing up to absolutely shatter records. Chris Van Vliet flew to Los Angeles to chat with the star-studded cast.
Chadwick Boseman (as T’Challa): “What happens now determines what happens to the rest of the world.”
We first met T’Challa, aka the Black Panther, in the Marvel movie “Captain America: Civil War.” Now, if you didn’t see the movie, spoiler alert, his dad is killed, and now he’s returned to his home country to take his rightful place as the king.
Angela Bassett (as Ramonda): “My son, it is your time.”
Chadwick Boseman, who plays Black Panther, has been given a major wardrobe update for this movie.
Chris Van Vliet: “This is a different Black Panther suit than we saw in ‘Civil War.’ What can this suit do that that one couldn’t do?”
Chadwick Boseman: “The ability to absorb energy and essentially explode it and send it out. It’s a much more lean suit.”
He’ll need all the help he can get when he goes face to face with Michael B. Jordan’s character, Killmonger, who thinks he should be the king.
And, with a name like “Killmonger,” you know he’s definitely not a good guy.
Michael B. Jordan (as Erik Killmonger): “I waited my entire life for this.”
The action in this movie is incredible, and the best part about it is you don’t need to watch other Marvel movies, or even know anything about them, to love “Black Panther.” It completely stands alone.
Lupita Nyong’o: “I don’t think this is a movie that is necessarily prescribing a message, but it’s actually exploring something that I think the world is dealing with at the moment. Who are our citizens? How do we participate as citizens of the world?”
That’s just one of the many power messages in “Black Panther.”
Daniel Kaluuya: “I think it’s about how you deal with grief, and what that means and what your decision after that grief actually tells you who you are, but you can change that.”
Forest Whitaker has his own take.
Forest Whitaker: “The whole notion of when we as nations can come together to help the world unite as one tribe, as he says, is really important.”
Lupita Nyong’o (as Nakia): “You get to decide what kind of king you are going to be.”
This is going to be one of the biggest movies of the year, so that, of course, makes you wonder…
Chris Van Vliet: “At what point do you guys start talking about a sequel?”
Chadwick Boseman: “I can’t answer that.”
Chris Van Vliet: “You’re like the conversation already happened.”
Chadwick Boseman: “I can’t answer that right there.”
See that smile? Seems to me that a sequel might already be in the works.
“Black Panther” roars into theaters Friday.
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