Marvel’s Black Panther Casts Angela Bassett

Far from being the marquee addition that would have website headlines in a spin, it has been confirmed that Black Panther is quietly going out their business by casting Angela Bassett. The Marvel spinoff is in production mode ahead of a February 16th, 2018 release, as they look to build on a character that was introduced in Captain America: Civil War.

Bassett is said to play Ramonda, the mother of the main hero and protagonist T’Challa. Who? The Black Panther, dummy. Fresh from her duel roles as Lee Harris and Monet Tumusiime in the American Horror Story franchise, the experienced 58-year old actress will get to show her wares on the big screen in the extended Marvel cinematic universe.

Bassett Has History With Superheroes In Failed DC Installment

Angela Bassett

Playing the role of Amanda Waller made more famous by Viola Davis in Suicide Squad, Bassett does have a background in the superhero genre. The only catch is that it is with rival franchise DC for their 2011 flop Green Lantern. She is not the first to jump over to the competing studio, yet this will be an opportunity for her to return to the big leagues of Hollywood after a diligent career.

Making her debut in the 1986 action romp F/X, she quickly jumped into a cameo role in the 1990 Arnold Schwarzenegger comedy Kindergarten Cop. Bassett would later have roles in Boyz n the Hood, Contact, Malcolm X and aptly enough, the 1995 drama Panther. Her background in narratives strongly geared towards the African American community gives Bassett an edge when she arrives on set. With the Marvel franchise set to focus on that market with the spinoff.

Walking Dead Star Loving Black Panther Challenge

Danai Gurira Black Panther

If anyone knows what it takes to create intense, well shot action sequences in a taxing environment, it is Danai Gurira. The Walking Dead actress is cast alongside Bassett, Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Forest Whitaker, Lupita Nyong’o, Daniel Kaluuya, Winston Duke and Florence Kasumba. As she explains it, her transition from the cult television series to the big screen has been quite the ride.

"I'm training right now for Black Panther, and, yes, there's a lot of ways that they're extremely different," explains Gurira. "I'm learning such great, awesome new things. There's a lot of ways that, yes, one helps another. There are things about using combat that help each other. Absolutely. There's a lot of new things to learn and I'm really enjoying. There's so much new. Okoye is a whole other thing."

Source: THR, Den of Geek

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