Black Panther will introduce viewers to a whole new corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Some key characters were introduced in Captain America: Civil War - most notably the title character himself - while others are about to make their big-screen debut.
The movie takes viewers to the fictional African nation of Wakanda, a tribal civilization ruled over by the new king T'Challa. Many of the key characters are part of Wakanda's royal family, while others are important tribal leaders. Meanwhile, Black Panther is faced with a ruthless conspiracy that involves enemies from both within and outside of Wakandan borders. Many of these characters will be brand-new to fans - including comic book readers. Black Panther features a number of lesser-known secondary characters, and in some cases their stories and background have been changed for the movie. Here's a spoiler-free guide to the characters you'll meet in Black Panther.
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Black Panther
Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby back in 1966, Black Panther was originally a supporting character for the Fantastic Four. He was the first black superhero in mainstream American comics, and in 1973 began to star in his own series, Jungle Action. Written by Don McGregor, this series was critically acclaimed, and the combined story is viewed as Marvel's first ever graphic novel.
Black Panther is king and protector of the fictional African nation of Wakanda. As the decades have passed, his character and backstory have gradually been fleshed out, and he's become one of the most important Marvel characters. Marvel Studios hired Chadwick Boseman to play the part in 2014, and he made his MCU debut in 2016's Captain America: Civil War. The MCU's Black Panther was introduced as Wakanda's prince, but Zemo's terrorist attack led to the death of his father. T'Challa initially launched himself on a vendetta against the Winter Soldier, whom Zemo had framed, and inadvertently revealed Black Panther's existence to the world.
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The movie picks up straight after the events of Civil War. Wakanda has just lost its King, but the prince decided to head off on a mission of vengeance rather than return home. All this has left Wakanda in a troubled, divided state. Wakanda has always been proud of its isolationist history, but T'Challa and his father have drawn a lot of attention. The new monarch must decide whether to change his nation's path, or instead honor their isolationist traditions.
It's a mostly comic-book-accurate take - albeit with one simple difference. In the comics, T'Challa is actually one of the Marvel Universe's greatest geniuses - a technician and weaponsmith who can stand side-by-side with the likes of Reed Richards. In the MCU, that role has shifted to his sister, Shuri.
Everett K. Ross
Created by Christopher Priest and Kenny Martinez in 1998, Everett Ross is a long-standing ally of Black Panther. The character was actually inspired by Chandler Bing from Friends, and was intended as a sort of "audience surrogate" in Priest's comics. As he explained in an interview with Newsarama:
"I vented my irritation at how Marvel had so marginalized this character (which I interpreted as Marvel editorial approaching the character from a standpoint of race) through the over-the-top stupidity of his new State Department handler: he saw Panther the way Panther had ultimately come to be seen by Marvel: Just Some Guy who was routinely overshadowed by heroes in which they were more invested."
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Priest's run transformed Black Panther, winning popular and critical acclaim. Ross's character was a major part of that, with the character gradually coming to appreciate and understand T'Challa.
Martin Freeman played the part in Civil War, and will reprise the role in Black Panther. While Ross will still act as an "audience surrogate," he's been dramatically reinvented. Wakanda will still be a surprise for the veteran CIA agents, but he's well-versed in meeting with monarchs and presidents.
Okoye
Okoye is another character who was introduced during Christopher Priest's run. She's one of the Dora Milaje, a militant order of all-female bodyguards who serve the King of Wakanda. Each member of the Dora Milaje was chosen from a different tribe, and in the comics each has a shot at becoming the queen. T'Challa was never interested in them in this way, however, seeing them as largely ceremonial.
Marvel Studios has blended Okoye with another member of the Dora Milaje in the comics, Aneka. They've reinvented Okoye as a Wakandan general, leader of the Dora Milaje, and one of T'Challa's most important advisers. This decision has had something of a mixed response. In the comics, Aneka is a prominent lesbian character, and is in a relationship with Ayo (played by Florence Kasumba in the film). Fans were excited at the possibility of the first gay relationship in a Marvel movie, but the studio hasn't chosen to follow up on that idea.
Ramonda
The Queen Mother of Wakanda, Ramonda was created by Don McGregor and Gene Colan in 1989. TChalla originally believed she'd left Wakanda after her husband's death, but she'd actually been abducted by a white supremacist. Needless to say, when Black Panther learned the truth he swiftly freed Ramonda, and she's been a major part of his supporting cast ever since. Ramonda has always been portrayed as a voice of wisdom, and has been one of T'Challa's most capable advisers.
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Angela Bassett is playing the character in Black Panther, and Boseman has nothing but praise for the actress. "I think it shows the matriarchal African society," he told Screen Rant, adding that "she's not a figurehead mother." The theme of family is central to the film, ensuring that Ramonda is a particularly important character.
Shuri
While many Black Panther characters have been lifted faithfully from the comics, Shuri (played by Letitia Wright) has been changed significantly. She was created by Reginald Hudlin and John Romita Jr. in 2005, as part of their popular Black Panther run. Shuri was introduced as T'Challa's half-sister, a princess who coveted the Black Panther role. When T'Challa was critically injured after an attack by Doctor Doom, Shuri took the mantle of the Black Panther upon herself. The warrior has become an important Marvel hero; a female Black Panther who continues to have a strong influence on Wakandan society.
The MCU has reinvented Shuri as a 16-year-old genius who works alongside her brother. This version of Shuri will be a key player in Black Panther, as she's the head of Wakanda's Design Group. The film has been described as Marvel's James Bond movie, and Shuri is essentially the Black Panther's Q - equipping him with suit tech, gadgets and even cars. T'Challa definitely has a capable ally; Marvel has revealed that she is even smarter than Tony Stark.
It's worth noting that Shuri plays a major role in the setup for Avengers: Infinity War, too. According to the Avengers: Infinity War Prelude comic, Shuri is the one assigned to free Winter Soldier from Hydra's mind-control.
Killmonger
In the comics, Killmonger is one of Black Panther's most important foes. He was created by Don McGregor and Rich Buckler in 1973, as part of Black Panther's iconic Jungle Action run. Born under the name N'Jadaka, Killmonger was a native Wakandan who was exiled to the US after his father led an attempted coup. Killmonger's villainy is intriguingly complex. He hates Black Panther, whom he blames for the death of his father. He also believes that T'Challa's less isolationist ways will lead Wakanda to ruin. The revolutionary has attempted to overthrow T'Challa on many occasions, even proving willing to die for his ideals. (These are comics, so naturally the death wasn't permanent.)
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In an interview with Screen Rant, Michael B. Jordan - who plays Killmonger in the movie - hinted that the character's history has been subtly rewritten. "I'm not really associated with any of the Wakandans," he noted. "I guess I'm the best representation of America?" In another interview, Jordan described the dynamic between Black Panther and Killmonger as "a Magneto/Professor X type of chemistry." Both are driven by their understanding of the way the world works, and their conflicting belief about the meaning of the Wakandan throne. Trailers have made revealed that Killmonger will ultimately position himself as a distorted mirror image of Black Panther, donning the armor of the Golden Jaguar.
M'Baku
M'Baku will be known to comic book fans as the Man-Ape, and he's another one of Black Panther's most prominent villains. One of Wakanda's greatest warriors, M'Baku was a follower of the outlawed White Gorilla cult. He plotted to overthrow T'Challa in order to restore the cult to a place of prominence and honor. Man-Ape was granted superhuman powers after he ate the flesh of the sacred Wakandan White Gorilla, and bathed in its blood. This mystical ritual transferred the abilities of this legendary creature to M'Baku, transforming him into a fearsome opponent.
The MCU is taking a slightly different approach. M'Baku is envisioned as leader of the Jabari tribe, and he simply believes Wakanda should take a different, more traditional, path. This philosophical difference means he had a problem with everything T'Chaka did as King, and is equally unimpressed with T'Challa. Black Panther will never refer to M'Baku as "Man-Ape." The part will be played by Winston Duke, and he's also confirmed to appear in Avengers: Infinity War.
Nakia
Played by Lupita Nyong'o, Nakia is one of the film's most intriguing characters. She was created by Christopher Priest and Mark Texiera in 1998, and was envisioned as another member of the Dora Milaje. Unfortunately, Nakia became dangerously infatuated with T'Challa, and went to insane lengths to earn his favor. She even went so far as to attempt to kill Black Panther's former girlfriend; this led to Nakia's being exiled from Wakanda. Nakia fell in with some of T'Challa's most dangerous enemies, including Killmonger, and was transformed into the supervillain Malice. Operating under this identity, Nakia launched a ruthless plan to kill every important woman in Black Panther's life.
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The Nakia of Black Panther has been reinvented as a major love-interest for T'Challa, a committed member of the international War Dogs who has acted as an international spy on behalf of her homeland.
Ulysses Klaue
A notable enemy of Black Panther, Ka-Zar, and even the Fantastic Four, Klaw is the son of a Nazi war criminal who attempted to conquer Wakanda during the Second World War. Klaw became a notable physicist, and was fascinated by Wakanda's legendary vibranium. Unfortunately, Klaw's efforts to acquire vibranium led him to come into conflict with Wakanda's then-King T'Chaka. Shockingly, Klaw murdered the King in cold blood. Years later, he emerged from the shadows having replaced his right hand with a prosthetic, a device that used Wakandan vibranium to manipulate sonic waves. He's wound up locked in a personal vendetta against Black Panther ever since.
The MCU has already heavily adapted Klaw, who is played by Andy Serkis. He was introduced in Avengers: Age of Ultron as a vibranium smuggler, who stole Wakandan vibranium "at great personal cost." Unfortunately for the character, named Klaue in the MCU, he fell foul of Ultron. The android sliced off Klaue's arm, which will be replaced by a sonic device in Black Panther.
Although Klaue's backstory has changed, the fact remains that he's one of few non-Wakandans to have any idea about the secretive African nation. That makes him a very real threat to Wakanda's security.
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