Danai Gurira is reportedly returning as Okoye in Marvel's Black Panther Disney+ series. Following Chadwick Boseman's debut as T'Challa in Captain America: Civil War, Marvel Studios found incredible success with the release of his solo film in 2018. Ryan Coogler's movie earned well over $1 billion at the box office, was nominated for Best Picture and eight other Oscars, won three of the golden statues overall, and was a worldwide phenomenon. All of this ensured that Black Panther would become the next major Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise.
In the wake of Chadwick Boseman's passing, Marvel Studios has elected not to re-cast T'Challa but still continue to tell stories in the Black Panther world. Coogler is hard at work on the sequel, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and also is developing a Disney+ series. His production company, Proximity Media, recently signed a five-year deal with Disney to develop shows across their media empire. The only confirmed project coming at this time is a Black Panther spinoff series centered around the kingdom of Wakanda.
Details on the Black Panther Disney+ series have been tough to come by, but one cast member now appears to have been revealed. THR recently profiled some of the top lawyers working in Hollywood. The piece includes a section for Jamie Mandelbaum and one of the deals mentioned had to do with Marvel's Black Panther show. He reportedly brokered a deal for Danai Gurira to play Okoye again in the Disney+ series after Black Panther 2. Her return has yet to be officially announced by Marvel. It's also potentially worth noting that the article says the show is an "origin spinoff series."
When the Black Panther Disney+ show was announced, many began to wonder which cast members from the movies could appear. Danai Gurira's Okoye seemed like an obvious choice to star. Okoye is the leader of Wakanda's all-female royal guard known as the Dora Milaje. With the series set to explore different parts of Wakanda, Okoye and the Dora Milaje are natural fits. Gurira is no stranger to television either after playing Michonne for multiple seasons on The Walking Dead. This could increase the odds that Florence Kasumba's Ayo and other members of the Dora Milaje will return too. As for whether or not Letitia Wright's Shuri, Lupita Nyong'o's Nakia, Winston Duke's M'Baku, and Angela Bassett's Ramonda return, that remains to be seen.
More details on the Black Panther Disney+ series might take some time to surface. Coogler is currently focused on prepping Black Panther 2, which will have a lengthy production and likely be more emotional than before given the circumstances. He might not begin truly developing the show until after the sequel is complete. If Black Panther's Disney+ show is an origin story for some of Wakanda's current characters, it will be fascinating to see how a prequel setting then addresses the lack of T'Challa.
Source: THR
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