Stan Lee, the creator of Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, and more, was a featured special guest at this past weekend’s Wizard World Comic Con in New York City. Asked about the current state of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Lee may have spilled the beans on the development of the next Marvel franchise, Black Panther. Here’s the quote:
“The people at Marvel are spending hours trying to think ‘what’ll we do next.’ And there’s a damn good chance that they will think just what you mentioned because it would be a great idea, and little by little, everything you want to see will come along because they’re just like you. They’re fans of the stories and are trying to think ‘what will the fans like to see next? What would we like to see next?’ So they’re working on ANT-MAN, working on DOCTOR STRANGE; they’re working on GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY; they’re working on god knows what. Did I say the BLACK PANTHER also? They’re the ones I know about.”
From the films mentioned, we have release dates for Ant-Man and Guardians of the Galaxy. Doctor Strange has been announced, though details are thin, if not absent. Black Panther, however, has been hinted at for years, and many will recall that in 2011, Marvel commissioned Mark Bailey to script the film, though the public hasn’t heard a peep since.
Black Panther, going by T’Challa under the mask, is the leader of the African nation of Wakanda. Harnessing super powers derived from a special herb only given to the leader of Wakanda, he gains superhumanly acute senses, as well as excess strength, speed, and agility. T’Challa dons a suit forged from vibranium, a metal native to Wakanda, and also Captain America’s shield. In the comics, he’s had a number of famous arcs, including a fill-in for Daredevil, several battles for Wakandan supremacy, and even a marriage with Storm, of X-men fame.
Any thoughts, Halle Berry?
It should be mentioned that Lee’s roles in Marvel’s movies are miniscule. He’s nothing more than a figurehead when it comes to the “Executive Producer” title, and it’s very possible that he’s only on set for his many cameos. Still, it’s dubious that Marvel has given up on a Black Panther movie, what with their current success and future film slots, so the future seems bright for the ruler of Wakanda.
Stay tuned at Geek News Network for more Marvel Studios news!
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