Black Panther - Which of these 9 men should be the Black Panther?

Which of these 9 men should be the Black Panther?

 

With the recent announcement that Marvel's hired a screenwriter to get this long-gestating project back on track, we began to think about who could rule over Wakanda. Denzel Washington is too old, Djimon Hounsou's getting up there, and Wesley Snipes might still be incarcerated—who's left?

WILL SMITH

Best known for: Independence Day, Men in Black, I Am Legend
In all truth, it's probably too small a role for Smith—the biggest movie star in the world—and the traditionally budget-minded Marvel can't afford him. But he also gets mentioned for every male role that comes down the pike, so to not even bring him up would be silly. Still, it'll never happen.

IDRIS ELBA

Best known for: The Wire, The Losers, Luther, Thor
Elba brings a simmering, almost physical intelligence to every role he plays—even Michael Scott's temporary replacement on The Office—that would be perfect for T'Challa.

CHIWETEL EJIOFOR

Best known for: Serenity, 2012, Children of Men
Put simply, Ejiofor would be awesome—he's one of the few actors who can stand up to Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie on screen and can effortlessly swing from sci-fi to Shakespeare.

ADEWALE AKINNUOYE-AGBAJE

Best known for: Lost, Oz, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
This Nigeria-born actor has been campaigning for the role ever since the rights reverted back to Marvel a couple of years ago. As he told Cinematical in 2009: "I'd like to convey an element of him that is real and raw. ... I can make this guy real. ... I would bring some elements from my culture, which is Nigeria. I'm from an area which is known for its regality. In fact, my name, Adewale, means 'the crown has come home, the crown is here.' I would love to bring out the cultural elements of my background to it."

MAHERSHALALHASHBAZ ALI

Best known for: The 4400, Predators, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Kind of a dark-horse pick, but he was the heart and soul of the late, lamented, way-better-than-Heroes superhero drama The 4400. No reason he couldn't bring the same pathos to the technologically advanced jungle.

TAYE DIGGS

Best known for: Day Break, Equilibrium, Private Practice
For reasons that pass understanding, Diggs has never quite made it as a movie actor—he's got the talent and the looks; no one's quite sure where it went wrong—so he could be hungry enough to fight for this with teeth bared.

ALDIS HODGE

Best known for: Leverage, Friday Night Lights
An unlikely choice, perhaps, in that he's now known for the light heisty charms he displays as a hacker supreme on Leverage. But he can rock the drama—as well as the accent—needed to pull it off.

MICHAEL JAI WHITE

Best known for: The Dark Knight, Spawn, Black Dynamite
No one else on the list has action chops like this dude, who holds seven black belts. And if Christopher Nolan and Quentin Tarantino think he's good enough for their flicks—even if his fight scene was cut from Kill Bill, Vol. 2—then he's good enough for Black Panther.

ANTHONY MACKIE

Best known for: The Hurt Locker, Eagle Eye, Notorious
Mackie's role as the battle-tested voice of reason in Kathryn Bigelow's Oscar-winning Gulf War bomb-specialist drama The Hurt Locker catapulted him to the top of a lot of short lists. No reason why he shouldn't be on this one, too.
Which one would you pick? Or did you have someone else in mind?

Black Panther

Real Name: T'Challa Occupation: King of Wakanda, scientist Legal Status: Citizen of Wakanda with no criminal record Identity: Publicly known Other Aliases: Luke Charles, Black Leopard Place of Birth: Wakanda, Northern Africa Marital Status: Single Known Relatives: T'Chaka (father, deceased), N'Yami (mother, deceased), Khanata, Joshua Itobo, Ishanta, Zuni (cousins), Jakarra (half brother) Group Affiliation: The Avengers (reservist), fomerly Fantastic Force Base of Operations: Wakanda, mobile First Appearance: FANTASTIC FOUR Vol. 1 #52 History: T'Challa is the son of T'Chaka, late king of the African nation Wakanda. When lawless ivory hunter Ulysses Klaw murdered T'Chaka in an attempt to possess the country's rare Vibranium deposit, a grief-stricken T'Challa swore vengeance and succeeded in thwarting the butcher's raid. In the process, the young prince destroyed Klaw's hand. Educated at the finest schools in Europe and America, T'Challa returned to his homeland bearing a degree in physics and ready to assume the mantle of leadership. To do so required he pass two tests: defeat six of Wakanda's greatest warriors in unarmed combat, and obtain the secret heart-shaped herb that grants the country's chieftains their powers. Successfully carrying out the dual challenge, T'Challa donned the ceremonial garb of the Black Panther, totem of the Wakandan people. Under T'Challa, Wakanda has become one of the wealthiest and most technologically advanced nations on the planet. After meeting Captain America, the Panther was offered membership in the Avengers. Taking a leave of absence from his royal duties, he served among Earth's Mightiest Heroes for a lengthy interval, acquainting himself with American methods of crimefighting. During his time with the Avengers, he met the love of his life: social worker Monica Lynne. Inevitably, T'Challa returned to Wakanda, only to find the country in turmoil due to his prolonged absence. The Panther subdued an uprising led by Killmonger, a revolutionary intent on assuming the throne. After regaining his people's respect, the Panther worked to bring his country out of isolation from the rest of the world. Height: 6 ft. Weight: 185 lbs. Eyes: Brown Hair: Black, shaved bald Strength Level: The Black Panther is near the pinnicle of human physical perfection, his natural strength and abilities having been heightened by unidentified heart-shaped herb administered only to Wakandan kings during a sacred ascension ritual. THe herb os also only in Wakanda. While not superhuman, he is nearly as strong as a human being can become. He can lift (press) a maximum of 750 pounds with supreme effort. Known Superhuman Powers: None Abilities: An accomplished gymnast and acrobat, T'Challa is also an expert tracker. In addition, he has mastered various African martial arts. Weapons: T'Challa's Vibranium micro-weave bodysuit not only stops bullets, but saps their momentum. His boots' Vibranium soles absorb sound and impact -- enabling him to leap from structures up to eight stories tall and land without injury, and literally run up the sides of buildings. The Panther's retractable claws contain a new composite of the experimental "anti-metal" Vibranium that can break down other alloys. T'Challa wields an energy dagger that can be fired, thrown or handled like a knife. At its highest setting, the weapon easily can cut through forged steel.