It looks like one of my favorite comic book heroes, The Black Panther, is finally going to hit the big screen.
The casual comic book fan may not have heard of The Black Panther since he doesn’t have the same name recognition as fellow superheroes such as Spider-Man, Wolverine, or Iron Man, but his story is ever bit, if not more, complex as his Marvel counterparts.
Debuting in the mid-’60s, the Black Panther is generally credited as the first African-American superhero in mainstream comic books. He actually predates the founding of the Black Panther political party.
There’s been talk of a Black Panther movie for decades now, with Wesley Snipes at one point trying to secure the rights to produce the film. And up to now, there’s been little success with the film’s progress.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Marvel Studios has hired documentarian Mark Bailey to draft a Black Panther screenplay. Bailey has primarily worked on HBO documentaries such as Pandemic: Facing AIDS and Ghosts of Abu Ghraib.
The mythology around the character is fascinating. King of the fictional African nation Wakanda, the Panther’s long comic history is dotted with intriguingly political story arcs. The title “Black Panther” is a rank of office, chieftain of the Wakandan Panther Clan. As chieftain, the Panther is entitled to eat a special heart-shaped herb, as well as his mystical connection with the Wakandan Panther god, that grants him superhumanly acute senses and increases his strength, speed, stamina, and agility to the peak of human development.
It’s not know as to when Bailey is expected to submit his script, but it is a little comforting to know that the project is on its way.
Who do you think should play the part of the lead?
In case you have missed it, The Black Panther animated series has officially landed on DVD for as little as $8.99, just in case you were interested.
