With Denzel Washington revealing that he is set to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe in one of the biggest movies possible, Black Panther 3, there are great characters from Marvel Comics that he could bring to life. The Black Panther franchise has released two movies so far. Chadwick Boseman led the first as T'Challa, while Letitia Wright's Shuri assumed the lead role in the sequel after Boseman's untimely passing.
Despite the success of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Marvel has yet to officially announce that Black Panther 3 is happening. However, in a new interview to promote Gladiator II, Denzel Washington revealed that he will appear in Black Panther 3, confirming the film is in the works. Washington said that director Ryan Coogler is writing a role for him, and the star's character in the upcoming MCU movie could be either a hero or a villain from Marvel Comics. Here are the 10 best choices for Denzel Washington's Black Panther 3 character:
Norman Osborn
A Major Villain That Impacts The MCU As A Whole
Norman Osborn has already appeared in the MCU. Willem Dafoe reprised his version of the Green Goblin from Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man trilogy in Tom Holland's Spider-Man: No Way Home. However, the character was sent back to his universe at the end of the movie. Washington could then play the MCU's version of Norman Osborn, who could have a role in Marvel's Spider-Man movies after Black Panther 3.
Osborn is a character that could be in the MCU for quite some time. In Black Panther 3, Norman Osborn could get involved with Wakanda due to the country's rich Vibranium reserves. A businessman and inventor like Osborn would surely want to control such a powerful material and experiment on it. Washington has the skills to make Osborn either a full-on villain or someone who appears to be charismatic on the outside but is actually ruthless.
Magneto
An Important Villain For The MCU's Next Saga
The X-Men are coming to the MCU after Avengers: Secret Wars ends the Multiverse Saga. Since Black Panther 3 would likely also come during the franchise's next saga, Washington could end up playing a major mutant from the comics. While the actor has the skills to play either a hero or a villain, Denzel's best casting in the X-Men franchise would be Magneto.
Washington's list of roles includes many complex and dark characters. That makes him perfect to give life to what might be the most layered villain Marvel has. Washington could deliver a similar take on Magneto from Marvel Studios' excellent X-Men '97, making the audience understand the character's motives even if he is rather radical in how he goes about achieving his goals. Magneto's powers could be the perfect foil to the Vibranium-oriented weapons of Wakanda in Black Panther 3.
Multiverse T'Challa
Marvel Can Give Fans What They Have Been Asking With A Twist
On the off chance that Black Panther 3 releases before the Multiverse Saga is over, or some projects continue using multiverse elements after Avengers: Secret Wars, a new T'Challa could be in play. When Chadwick Boseman passed, Marvel Studios chose not to recast the role. Since then, many have been requesting for Marvel to bring back T'Challa, and Black Panther 3 could be the film to do it, with a twist.
|
Black Panther Movie |
Release Year |
|---|---|
|
Black Panther |
2018 |
|
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever |
2022 |
|
Black Panther 3 |
TBD |
Shuri proved herself in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever to be a worthy successor to Boseman's T'Challa. As such, she could continue as the MCU's Black Panther, with an older version of T'Challa being used by the franchise instead of a younger actor. Denzel Washington, as a veteran statesman version of T'Challa who had to deal with many universe-wide threats in his days as Black Panther, could end up in the MCU, or Shuri in his universe, to pass on his experience to Shuri and make her the ultimate Black Panther.
The Shadow King
A Juicy One-Off Villain Role For Washington
The Shadow King is a Marvel Comics villain who has already appeared in live-action. The character was the main villain of FX's Legion series, tormenting the life of Charles Xavier's son, David Haller. The Shadow King appeared in different forms in the show, with Aubrey Plaza, who recently joined the MCU as Rio Vidal/Lady Death in Agatha All Along, and Navid Negahban giving life to the character.
That could be how the MCU uses the character, allowing Denzel Washington to make the Shadow King a frightening villain in Black Panther 3 before passing on the role to another actor, with the villain adopting a new form. In the comics, Shadow King used his mind control powers to make Black Panther attack Storm and wreak havoc in Africa. Since Storm will appear in What If…? season 3, the X-Men character could also show up in Black Panther 3 and help Shuri deal with the Shadow King.
Morlun
Letitia Wright's Shuri Gets A Formidable Spider-Man Villain To Fight
Besides Norman Osborn, another interesting Spider-Man villain that Denzel Washington could play in Black Panther 3 is Morlun. The character is one of the Inheritors from Marvel Comics, becoming famous for traversing the multiverse and killing several versions of Spider-Man along the way. Morlun seeks to devour all "totems," which usually relate to Spider-Man variants. However, Black Panther happens to be the Panther totem, which could be how Morlun arrives in the MCU.
Morlun is an extremely strong, Terminator-like character who will relentlessly pursue all the totems until his mission is complete. Denzel Washington has played characters who will stop at nothing until they get the job done, and this role would allow the actor to embody a vampiric stalker like no other. In Black Panther 3, Morlun could be brought in by Wakanda's Crocodile Cult to take out Shuri, like in the comics.
Doctor Voodoo
Denzel Washington's MCU Character Could Be Mystical
Dr. Jericho Drumm would be an exciting character for Denzel Washington. Doctor Voodoo's powers range from offensive capabilities to stealth abilities and more. Voodoo can effectively command animals and plants to answer his requests, and, most interestingly, Voodoo holds the spirit of his evil brother within him, allowing the supernatural character to call on him to become even more powerful.
It was revealed in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever that T'Challa and Nakia's son, Prince Toussaint, lives in Haiti.
At nearly 70, Washington could appear as a fully-fledged version of Doctor Voodoo in Black Panther 3. The character has helped Black Panther multiple times in the comics, so Voodoo could be used as a mentor and ally to Shuri. The character was also born in Haiti. The country has an important connection to the Black Panther franchise, as it was revealed in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever that T'Challa and Nakia's son, Prince Toussaint, lives in Haiti.
An Original Character
Denzel Washington's MCU Debut Could Come With A Surprise
While there are many exciting characters from Marvel Comics that Washington could play, there is a chance that the actor will not give life to any of them. Be it in live-action or animation, the MCU has created a slew of original characters, which include names like Phil Coulson, Ralph Bohner, Layla El-Faouly, and more. Washington's Black Panther 3 character could be added to the list.
There are two reasons that make that possible. First is what Washington said when he revealed that he was joining the MCU. According to the actor, Black Panther franchise director Ryan Coogler "is writing a part for [him]." The quote could mean that Coogler is creating a character from scratch just for Washington. Adding to that, it is more likely that the role will be a one-off, as Washington is likely too old and busy to appear in multiple MCU movies, so an original character would be perfect for that.
Bashenga
The Iconic Actor Can Be A Major Part Of The Black Panther Mythos
Continuing on possible one-off roles, Washington would be an excellent pick to play Bashenga in the MCU. The character has already appeared in the Marvel franchise. During 2018's Black Panther, Bashenga was shown in a montage about the history of the superhero mantle. The character was the first to don the Black Panther costume and protect Wakanda as its hero, which is fitting, as Denzel Washington would have been the perfect T'Challa when younger.
The actor also has direct ties to the MCU's first Black Panther actor, Chadwick Boseman. Washington paid for the MCU star's tuition for a summer acting class, helping Boseman hone his craft. When honoring Washington with the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2019, Boseman said, "There is no Black Panther without Denzel Washington." Having Washington play Bashenga in the Ancestral Plane and guide Shuri in Boseman's absence would be an emotional choice.
Achebe
The Ideal Black Panther Villain For The Actor
Achebe is a truly deranged and insane Black Panther villain, which makes sense, as one of the inspirations for the character was DC's Joker. The villain is a versatile threat to Black Panther, as he can take him directly in a hand-to-hand fight or intellectually. Achebe had the help of the demon Mephisto to take the throne of Wakanda, but after losing it, he grows insane and talks to a hand puppet.
The character is fitting for Denzel Washington. The actor has an impressive range, and Achebe offers him a colorful role that would allow the star to have a lot of fun playing a completely unpredictable villain. Achebe could also finally be how the MCU gives Mephisto a big role. The demon is rumored to debut in Ironheart, and since Riri Williams joined the MCU in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the MCU series could connect with Black Panther 3.
Blue Marvel
The Best MCU Hero For Denzel Washington
Finally, Blue Marvel would be the most exciting role for Denzel Washington to play in Black Panther 3. Adam Brashear fought in the Korean War, and with slow aging due to his powers, the character could be in the perfect age range for Washington. Blue Marvel's role in the MCU could be that of the comics, as a veteran hero who is still extremely powerful and has a lot of experience to help out other heroes.
As one of Hollywood's biggest action stars, the now older Denzel Washington perfectly fits Blue Marvel. The character is as intelligent as he is powerful, which would make Washington potentially one of the MCU's most interesting heroes. Black Panther 3 could show Blue Marvel and Shuri bonding over their technological expertise, with the characters combining their powers later against a major villain.
