Black Panther: The Actors Who Almost Played MCU's T'Challa

Screen Rant

By Adrienne Tyler

Published May 31, 2020

It's hard to imagine someone else playing the MCU's Black Panther, but Chadwick Boseman wasn't the only actor in consideration for the role.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe found its T’Challa a.k.a. Black Panther in Chadwick Boseman, but as it happens in all big productions, he wasn’t the only actor considered for the role. The MCU began back in 2008 with Jon Favreau’s Iron Man, which set the basis for what would become an extensive connected universe and made it possible for many other Marvel characters to jump to the big screen.

The MCU’s first wave of films, collectively known as the Infinity Saga, came to an end with Spider-Man: Far From Home after bringing all its heroes together in Avengers: Endgame to fight Thanos and his armies. In over 10 years of adventures, the MCU has given many superheroes their first big screen adaptation, among those T’Challa, best known as Black Panther. The ruler of Wakanda made his debut in Captain America: Civil War in 2016 before getting his first solo film in 2018.

Black Panther was a big success, breaking various box-office records and getting very positive reviews, with its direction, performances, costume design, and story getting the most praise. Black Panther also holds a lot of cultural significance, which made it a favorite among Marvel fans. Given the impact that the film had, it’s hard to imagine someone else playing T’Challa, but Boseman wasn’t the only one on the list of prospects.

Black Panther: Djimon Hounsou & Anthony Mackie Almost Played T’Challa

Djimon Hounsou Anthony Mackie TChalla Black Panther

Before Chadwick Boseman was cast, there were three other actors considered to play T’Challa/Black Panther – and, funny enough, they all joined the MCU at some point. First was Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, who had previously played Algrim a.k.a. Kurse, a powerful Dark Elf, in Thor: The Dark World. Akinnuoye-Agbaje was also part of DC’s Extended Universe as he played Killer Croc in David Ayer’s Suicide Squad. Since then, he wrote and directed the film Farming, voiced Vervain in the miniseries Watership Down, and played Sevvy Johnson in the short-lived series The Fix.

Then was Djimon Hounsou, who played Korath in Guardians of the Galaxy and reprised his role in Captain Marvel. Just like Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Hounsou also joined the DCEU, as he played The Wizard in Shazam!, and has since appeared in other projects such as Charlie’s Angels, A Quiet Place Part II, and The King’s Man. Last but not least, Anthony Mackie was also considered to play T’Challa. Mackie has been part of the MCU since 2014, when he played Sam Wilson/Falcon in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Mackie has reprised his role in Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame, and will star in the Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, alongside Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes. Mackie’s Falcon ended up fighting alongside Boseman’s T’Challa, and very much like him, will continue to be a big part of the MCU in the upcoming phase 4.