Marvel Studios and director Ryan Coogler have been putting together an incredible cast for Black Panther, but one of the most exciting additions has to be The Walking Dead‘s Danai Gurira. While it would be easy to assume that the Creed helmer probably chose the actress based on her role in the critically acclaimed AMC series, it turns out that wasn’t the case.
Gurira will play a member of Wakanda’s Dora Milaje in Black Panther, but Coogler most definitely didn’t choose her because he wanted a carbon copy of Michonne.
“The filmmaker had never watched it. I’m not saying that everyone else that was involved hadn’t, but Ryan Coogler had never watched The Walking Dead. He’d watched me in something completely different. It’s quite amazing to hear, but these are African women roles. He’d watched me in an independent film, Mother of George. He’s never seen The Walking Dead.”
Considering the fact that Okoye will no doubt be as big of a badass as The Walking Dead character, you have to believe that there will be at least some similarities between the two. Asked how they compare, Gurira was quick to point out that they’re very different, but that her role in the TV show has definitely helped prepare her for Black Panther.
“I’m training right now for Black Panther, and, yes, there’s a lot of ways that they’re extremely different. I’m learning such great, awesome new things. There’s a lot of ways that, yes, one helps another. There are things about using combat that help each other. Absolutely. There’s a lot of new things to learn and I’m really enjoying. There’s so much new. She’s a whole ‘nother thing. Okoye is a whole ‘nother thing.”
Black Panther is so far shaping up to be one of 2018’s most exciting superhero movies, and fans can’t wait to see more of T’Challa following his excellent introduction in Captain America: Civil War. The fact that Chadwick Boseman will be surrounded by such an incredible supporting cast obviously helps build anticipation, and seeing what Gurira brings to the table should be very exciting.