Stargate SG-1 alum Christopher Judge, known for playing Kratos in 2018's God of War, will voice Black Panther in the character's upcoming Marvel's Avengers expansion. This may not come as a surprise to some, given datamined Marvel's Avengers information that leaked in December 2020 and suggested Judge would assume the role of the iconic Marvel hero.
Several leaks let loose cursory details about the Black Panther expansion before its formal announcement during Square Enix Presents in March 2021. Titled War for Wakanda, the all-new story campaign will also feature the likes of Ulysses Klaw, the black market dealer who appeared on the big screen in Avengers: Age of Ultron and Black Panther. The villain will undoubtedly wreak havoc across Wakanda in the eagerly-anticipated Marvel's Avengers DLC, too.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, God of War star Christopher Judge confirmed he lent his talents to the voice of T'Challa/Black Panther in the War for Wakanda expansion. Judge told the publication he initially turned down the part, fearing the inevitable comparisons to the late Chadwick Boseman's wonderful performances. "The only way I could really wrap my head around it was to not even attempt a voice match, to let my performance stand on its own," Judge said. "I put all that into it and hopefully people like it."
The Marvel's Avengers version of Black Panther differs from his MCU counterpart in that the former has yet to align himself with the Avengers. Ahead of the game's A-Day event, which culminated in Captain America's death, Black Panther was in talks with Steve Rogers about partnering with the superhero team. Cap's passing meant such negations never proceeded, with Wakanda once more shutting out the world beyond its borders. The expansion takes place five years later and sees Klaw enter Wakanda as a hired gun to steal Vibranium. Naturally, Black Panther will have no choice but to get involved.
Christopher Judge seems a great choice for the role and not just because of his easily recognizable timbre. He's also known to approach each character with a level of passion like few others, a passion that never fails to illuminate his performances.
Marvel's Avengers hit stores nearly a year ago in September 2020, suffering mightily at launch due to technical issues and a lack of endgame content, which fueled its relatively dismal market performance. Developer Crystal Dynamics is looking to turn the tide, though, and War for Wakanda could very well provide the title with a much-needed boost.
Marvel's Avengers' Black Panther - War for Wakanda expansion hits PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S platforms on an unspecified date in August.
Source: Entertainment Weekly