Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. star Henry Simmons is super excited for Ryan Coogler's Black Panther. Simmons made his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut as Agent Alphonso "Mack" MacKenzie on ABC's flagship comic book TV series back in 2014, following the downfall of S.H.I.E.L.D. as a result of the events of Anthony and Joe Russo's Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Simmons started out in a recurring role but was upped to series regular in season 3, and he's remained a core member of the non-superhero team ever since.
Although Mack's presence on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was tested during the Framework story arc in season 4, he's back in season 5 along with the rest of the S.H.I.E.L.D. team searching for answers of their current whereabouts. And while the show remains the flagship Marvel TV property, it's still far removed from the going-ons of the core MCU. Still, that doesn't mean Marvel TV's stars aren't excited about the future of the shared universe. While everyone is looking forward to the Russos' Avengers: Infinity War, Simmons is anxiously waiting for Black Panther to hit theaters.
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Simmons told Screen Rant during a recent set visit for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s 100th episode that he can't wait for Black Panther. In fact, he'd love if Mack and Elena Rodriguez, aka Yo-Yo (Natalia Cordova-Buckley), joined the Wakandan film as well. "Lord! How about you put MacK and Yo-Yo in Black Panther. Come on, man! That's going to be the best Marvel movie! Yeah, definitely going to mention I can't wait for that movie."
Excitement for Black Panther, starring Chadwick Boseman as the eponymous superhero, continues to build as the movie's release date gets closer. With Taika Waititi's Thor: Ragnarok now out in theaters worldwide, Black Panther is the only movie left on the docket before the Earth's mightiest heroes (including Boseman's Panther) unite with the Guardians of the Galaxy for an ultimate showdown with the Mad Titan Thanos (Josh Brolin) and his loyal Black Order. Although Black Panther appears to be a solo film, for the most part, it will still tie into the overarching narrative. After all, the Soul Stone is confirmed to reside in Wakanda, and it may play a role in Coogler's 2018 film.
Black Panther is due out in February 2018, with Boseman reprising his role in Avengers: Infinity War and the currently untitled Avengers 4. While the film is expected to be decidedly different from Marvel Studios' other offerings, only time will tell if it will stand up to all the other films in the MCU, namely Thor 3, which remains one of the highest-rated superhero movies of all-time.
