‘Black Panther’ Cast, Updates: Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o Join Chadwick Boseman; Winter Soldier to Appear?

‘Black Panther’ is set to feature Michael B. Jordan and Lupita Nygon’o alongside Chadwick Boseman. Meanwhile, Sebastian Stan hinted that his Bucky Barnes a.k.a. Winter Soldier may make an appearance in the film as well.

According to KUTV.com, Jordan confirmed that he will be joining Boseman in the upcoming ‘Black Panther’ standalone film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). He said, "I'm super excited to put a different spin on it (an MCU film). I'm looking forward to working with Ryan (Coogler) once again. It's gonna be a good time."

He then expressed his enthusiasm with getting the chance to work with co-stars Boseman and Nyong’o in a fast-paced Q&A session with The Hollywood Reporter. It is not yet known whether Jordan will be joining Boseman as another superhero in the MCU.

The 29-year old actor is best known for his critically acclaimed roles on two of director Ryan Coogler’s past cinematic projects. He played Oscar Grant III in the 2013 biographical drama film ‘Fruitvale Station’, where he was nominated a Black Reel Award for Outstanding actor. He also worked on Coogler’s sports drama film ‘Creed’ as Adonis Johnson Creed, where he was nominated for an MTV Movie Award for Best Male Performance.

Jordan’s co-star Nyong’o is best known for her role in Steve McQueen’s period drama film ’12 Years A Slave’, for which she won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She became the first Kenyan actress as well as Mexican actress to ever win an Academy Award.

Meanwhile, Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes a.k.a. Winter Soldier could be making an unexpected appearance as well. According to /Film, Stan hinted at Bucky’s return during an interview at the recent Wizard World Comic Con in Philadelphia.

When asked about which non-Avengers Marvel film he would like to see his character in, he answered, “I don’t know, man. I mean, there’s obviously a very clear answer, but I’m not going to maybe say it, now. Where did he end up at the end of the movie? That’s the movie he should be in, I think. I feel like that would be the natural… but I don’t know. I don’t know anything.”

His reply may have been cryptic enough but to fans of the franchise, it was clear that he was referring to a mid-credits scene in ‘Captain America: Civil War’ that showed Bucky, T’Challa, and Steve in a facility in Wakanda.

‘Black Panther’ is an upcoming superhero film based on the Marvel comic book character of the same name. It is intended as part of the MCU and is scheduled to be released on February 16, 2018. The MCU is considered as one of the biggest American cinematic franchises in film history, with a total collective gross of $3.99 billion in domestic sales alone.

The most recent film in the MCU, ‘Captain America: Civil War’, earned an estimated $396.9 million in domestic sales and $745.5 million in overseas sales. It grossed $1.14 billion worldwide, against a budget of $250 million.