Ever since Chadwick Boseman made his first screen appearance as Black Panther/T’Challa in Captain America: Civil War, the actor has anxiously awaited the arrival of a Black Panther film.  That day has arrived. 

Boseman will next be seen as Black Panther/T’Challa in May, when Avengers: Infinity War arrives in theaters.  Given Black Panther’s spectacular opening weekend performance at the box office, it appears that the possibilities for the Black Panther franchise, and Boseman, are limitless. 

In Black Panther, T’Challa returns home to the African nation of Wakanda, after the death of his father, to take his rightful place as king.  Confronted by a powerful enemy, Black Panther/T’Challa finds himself drawn into a conflict that puts the fate of Wakanda, and the entire world, in jeopardy. 

DG: Were you happy with how the Black Panther character was introduced in Captain America: Civil War?

CB: Yes.  It got people excited about the character and the possibility of a Black Panther film.  The directors of Captain America: Civil War [the Russo Brothers] handled the introduction of Black Panther very well.  The audience got to meet me, and they learned a bit about me but not too much.  They left a lot to the audience’s imagination, and this created a tremendous buildup for a Black Panther film. 

DG: How would you describe Black Panther’s/T’Challa’s mindset at the beginning of this film?

CB: T’Challa has been given an awesome responsibility.  He has to follow in his father’s footsteps, which is a very daunting task.  He has to take over as king, and he has to figure out what type of king he’s going to be.  Although he grew up watching his father handle this position, it’s very different now that he’s the person everyone in the kingdom is looking to for guidance and leadership.  He’s torn between following his father’s leadership style and charting his own path. 

DG: What was the biggest challenge you faced in making this film?

CB: It was a very difficult shoot, but it wasn’t the physical part that was the most difficult.  It was the emotional part of playing the character that left me the most physically drained, although wearing the Black Panther suit for so many hours a day was also tiring.  There were days during the filming where it was a challenge to get to the emotional space I needed to be in, and this went on for weeks.  Making these films is a very tedious process because of the technical challenges, so you have to really concentrate, more so than the previous films I’ve made, on being emotionally prepared in every single moment. 

DG: What did director Ryan Coogler bring to this film that was unique from other directors who might have been chosen to direct the film?

CB: Ryan is a tireless perfectionist who won’t stop until a scene is captured perfectly.  He pushes everyone to do their best every day, and he pushes himself harder than anyone.  He knows what he wants, and he knows how to make it a reality, and he knows how to explain his vision to the cast and crew.  Sometimes we filmed a scene, and I thought it was over, and Ryan would think of something new to try, so we’d do it again.

DG: Do you feel the tremendous commercial pressure associated with a big budget film like this as you’re making the film?

CB: No.  We just tried to make the film that we wanted to see.  We tried to make a film that was interesting, that asked lots of interesting questions.  As we went through the film, as we covered more and more territory, I think we all felt confident that we were making the best Black Panther film that we were capable of.  When you get to that point, you feel confident that the audience is going to respond strongly to the film. 

DG: How would you describe the relationship between Black Panther and the upcoming Avengers: Infinity War?

CB: I moved into Avengers: Infinity War right after I completed work on Black Panther.  The films were being shot at the same time, so it was a very interesting experience to play the same character in two different films, one after the other.  Many of the people who worked on Black Panther also worked on Avengers: Infinity War.  I don’t think anything like that has ever happened before. 

DG: How do you feel about Black Panther’s place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe going forward, and what direction would you like to see the character go in the future?

CB: I’d like to explore more of his personal life, especially in terms of him falling in love and possibly getting married.  I’d like to show that side of him.  That’s something that’s been explored in the comic books, and it’s created a lot of conflict and drama in the comic book universe, which I think would translate very effectively into a film.  I’d like to see more of T’Challa’s relationship with his sister, and I’d like to see Black Panther make more scientific discoveries in future films.  There are many things I’d like to see in future films, and what’s so exciting about this film is that it leaves us with so many interesting directions to go in next.