Just as Marvel's "Captain America: Civil War" draws rave reviews, surpassing $800 million at the worldwide box office, a follow-up to the superhero thriller will feature none other than "Creed" star Michael B. Jordan in a reunion with director Ryan Coogler.
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According to The Hollywood Reporter, Jordan will join an already star-studded cast led by Chadwick Boseman and Lupita Nyong'o in "Black Panther," which delves into the world of T'Challa, the warrior king in Marvel's fictional African nation of Wakanda.
The lead role, to be played by Boseman, is introduced briefly in "Captain America: Civil War," a film critics have already hailed as Marvel Studios' best work to date.
It's not yet clear what role Jordan, who worked with Coogler on "Fruitvale Station" prior to "Creed," will play in "Black Panther," but a source tells The Hollywood Reporter it could be a villain. Jordan previously played Johnny Storm/The Human Torch in Marvel's "Fantastic Four," produced by Fox.
As Apollo Creed's son Adonis in last year's "Creed," Jordan helped propel the "Rocky" franchise into the 21st century with Philadelphia serving as a renewed backdrop to the Oscar-nominated comeback. The film was so successful that Sylvester Stallone said a sequel is already in the works and could draw sequencing inspiration from "The Godfather Part II."
Production on "Black Panther" is set to begin in early 2017, with a release date planned for Feb. 16, 2018.