Lupita Nyong’o and Michael B. Jordan to Suit Up for Marvel’s ‘Black Panther’

Marvel is bringing in an all-star cast to lead their upcoming Black Panther stand-alone film. Chadwick Boseman has been attached to star as the superhero for quite some time now, with Ryan Coogler (Creed) also on board to write and direct. Now, according to The Hollywood Reporter, Michael B. Jordan (That Awkward Moment) is also joining the cast along with Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years a Slave), who is still in negotiations.

Boseman’s Black Panther first hit the silver screen last week in Captain America: Civil War. The film has already grossed over $700 million worldwide and continues to keep growing. For those unaware of this lesser known superhero, his alias is T’Challa, the warrior king of Wakanda, a fictional African country rich in an unbreakable alloy called vibranium.

Both Jordan and Nyong’o’s characters are being kept under wraps, however, sources at THR conjecture that Jordan may be playing a villain, which would be a first for the young actor. Jordan’s presence in the cast also likely means that he will be cutting ties with the Fantastic Four franchise. He played The Human Torch in Fox’s unsuccessful reboot last year. Although made at a different studio, the Fantastic Four superheroes are still in the Marvel Universe, and a role for Jordan in Black Panther likely spells doom for the future of that potential series.

This will be Jordan’s third collaboration with filmmaker Ryan Coogler, after his breakout in Fruitvale Station and another star-making performance in last year’s Creed. This will be the first film he is attached to for 2016. Nyong’o is coming off of a string of attachments herself. Although she has not appeared in much since her Oscar-winning performance in 12 Years a Slave (unless we’re counting her nearly unrecognizable turn as Maz Kanata in Star Wars: The Force Awakens), she does have several projects on the horizon. She will soon be seen in Queen of Katwe and will soon begin filming Intelligent Life as well as Star Wars: Episode VIII.

Black Panther will hit theaters on February 16, 2018.