By Brennan Williams, Huffington Post

After numerous rumors surrounding the director of Marvel’s forthcoming flick “Black Panther” — including Ava DuVernay forgoing the opportunity — it appears the comic movie studio has finally made its decision.

 

In the February issue of Empire magazine, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige confirmed “Creed” and “Fruitvale Station” director Ryan Coogler as the film’s director — which will feature a majority Black cast and star Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa.

For Feige, he said it is important for the film’s script to reflect the comic’s story of incorporating T’Challa’s origins in Wakanda.

“This one is important,” Feige said. “Not only do you get an unbelievable lead character, but you also get all of Wakanda which is a whole new setting and culture to explore.”

Feige went on to add that the action adventure will focus on the family and royal struggle of T’Challa as he discovers what it means to be king. The developing motion picture will mark the studio’s first stand-alone black superhero movie.

Despite some questioning if it’s “important at all” to have a black director for the film, Coogler shared his thoughts last year during an interview with VIBE on the value of having people of color and minorities involved in making a film.

“I think when we have opportunities where you have people of color and minorities, filmmakers, producers, writers, directors making decisions on what stories to be made and actually going to work, then you prove that those works can have financial value,” he said. “That’s what moves the industry along.”

“Black Panther” is set to hit theaters in 2018. The February 2016 issue of Empire magazine is now available on newsstands.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post