Director Ryan Coogler Explains What Makes Michael B. Jordan’s Villain In ‘Black Panther’ Different


On February 16, fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe will be getting an entirely new look at the MCU thanks to the Black Panther movie. Not only will they be introduced to the kingdom of Wakanda and its people, but fans will also meet a new villain who is truly multidimensional. While it has long been said that Marvel seems to have a problem with their villains being either forgettable or hard to really appreciate, it seems that with Black Panther‘s Killmonger, things are about to change.

According to ComicBook, in a new interview with Black Panther director, Ryan Coogler, he shared what it is about the villain Killmonger, played by Michael B. Jordan, that is so different from other villains that have been introduced in the MCU. Coogler apparently explained that audiences will connect in some ways with Jordan’s character because he “feels more familiar in some sort of way,” which puts him into a “unique category of MCU villains.”

While Ryan Coogler did say that Killmonger is not necessarily different from all of the Marvel villains, the director said that one of the things that really does make him different from so many of the bad guys in the MCU is that the Black Panther character “has a real world sensibility to him.” Coogler said that he really believes that this has a lot to do with Michael B. Jordan being the person bringing the villain to life.

As the villain of Black Panther, Killmonger is someone who will actually have a very familiar feel to audiences, even if he is not the person fans are rooting for. While Marvel may have had bad guys in the past that fans can relate to in some ways, this time around the villain is someone who feels like he is “of this world.” Essentially Ryan Coogler feels that one of the ways Killmonger is so different from other MCU villains is that he seems to be very “grounded.”

Not only is Black Panther set to bring something new and fresh to the MCU, but fans of Michael B. Jordan, the actors abilities themselves, and the fact that Killmonger has such an interesting story in the comics, means that there is plenty of material to make this a movie and a villain who defy expectations. At the same time there is also the apparent dynamic between T’Challa, played by Chadwick Boseman, and Killmonger to look forward to, which is something that even people on the set of the movie have talked about. Not only do both men want to be the ruler of Wakanda, but with two different approaches and backstories giving them their drive and determination, it looks like the fight to lead might not be as simple as a battle for dominance.

With so much anticipation for Black Panther‘s release, fans can only hope that Michael B. Jordan and Chadwick Boseman are able to give them exactly what they want. Audiences will get to see for themselves if the movie delivers everything they want when it premieres in theaters on February 16.

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