Earlier today, it was finally announced that among the nine films that will encompass Phase Three of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Black Panther is finally getting his own solo effort and he’ll be played by Chadwick Boseman. Now, Deadline is reporting that Boseman will be sticking around the MCU for quite a while, as he has landed a five-picture deal with the studio.
Boseman will make his debut as Wakanda-native superhero T’Challa in Captain America: Civil War in 2016, and then head off on his own big screen adventure the following year. This actually marks the first time that a character has headlined his own project after showing up in another franchise entry, and from a business standpoint it makes a lot of sense.
Captain America: Civil War is all but guaranteed to make Marvel a ton of money when it pits Steve Rogers against Tony Stark, and by throwing Black Panther into the mix Marvel can easily get the character some much-needed exposure before giving him his own movie. (Though, judging by the runaway success that is Guardians of the Galaxy, Marvel can confidently make big risks and yield a nice payoff).
This bit of information about Boseman’s deal is also very telling, because it means that he’ll be around for at least three more films after Black Panther. Kevin Feige recently confirmed that the Avengers roster would be altered following next year’s Avengers: Age of Ultron, so it stands to reason to think that T’Challa will join the ranks of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes at some point after his debut, and likely factor into the two-part Avengers: Infinity War beginning in 2018.
Black Panther is set to hit theaters on November 3rd, 2017, while Captain America: Civil War will erupt onto the big screen a year prior, on May 6th, 2016.
