Even though he was one of the many participants last year in Captain America: Civil War, Black Panther made quite the good impression in his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut. Next year, he'll be leading his solo adventure, and the movie has been gathering top-notch talent. The latest name to be added to this group of individuals is The People vs. O.J. Simpson star Sterling K. Brown.
Marvel announced today that Sterling K. Brown has been added to the Black Panther cast as N'Jobu, a figure from the eponymous hero's past. No other details were provided about the character, and since N'Jobu isn't someone who originated from the comics, you won't be able to turn to the source material to find out what the movie has in store for him. Since Black Panther will primarily take place in Wakanda, there's a good chance that N'Jobu will be a native of the country, but it's unclear whether he's a friend of T'Challa or if they have an adversarial relationship. Brown is the second main The People vs. O.J. Simpson actor to appear in the MCU, as Kenneth Choi, who played Judge Lance Ito, previously appeared as Jim Mortia in Captain America: The First Avenger and will play Peter Parker's high school principal in Spider-Man: Homecoming.
Before 2016, Sterling K. Brown's most notable acting credits included Supernatural, Army Wives, Person of Interest and Our Idiot Brother. However, he rose to prominence last year for his role as Christopher Darden in American Crime Story Season 1, a.k.a. The People vs. O.J. Simpson. Brown subsequently won a Primetime Emmy and Critics Choice Award, and was also nominated for a Golden Globe. He also appeared alongside Tina Fey and Margot Robbie in Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, and he currently stars in the NBC series This Is Us as the adult Randall Pearson.
Specific Black Panther plot details haven't been revealed yet, but the movie will take place after Captain America: Civil War, where T'Challa fought in Team Iron Man as a way to exact vengeance on Bucky Barnes, the man he originally believed to be his father's murderer. Now with the true culprit, Helmut Zemo, in custody, T'Challa will have to learn how to properly lead Wakanda from the throne and also defend it from threats from both within and outside its borders. Along with Chadwick Boseman reprising T'Challa, the Black Panther cast includes Luptia Nyong'o as Nakia, Michael B. Jordan as Erik Killmonger (the main antagonist), Angela Bassett as Ramonda (T'Challa's mother), Danai Gurira as Okoye, Florence Kasumba as Ayo (who briefly appeared in Captain America: Civil War), Winston Duke as M'Baku, a.k.a. Man-Ape (the secondary antagonist), Letitia Wright as Serita and Forest Whitaker as Zuri,
Black Panther will claw its way into theaters on February 16, 2018. Let us know what you think of Sterling K. Brown joining the cast in the comments below.
