As Marvel continues to expand its presence on Disney+, a new casting report continues to highlight just how committed the MCU is to keeping its film and TV series intertwined. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Black Panther star Danai Gurira will reprise her role as Okoye, the head of Wakanda’s fierce Dora Milaje, in an “origin spinoff series” on top of her previously announced role in the film’s sequel, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Here’s where the confusion kicks in. The announcement was tucked inside a THR profile on the top Hollywood power lawyers and was only a small line in the blurb for attorney Jamie Mandelbaum, who helped brokered the deal for Gurira to star in the series. Outside of that, there’s no other information, and the ever secretive Marvel has not responded to comment. Given the aggressive push for content on Disney+, there’s a possibility that Gurira is simply headlining the previously announced Wakanda-centered series, or maybe she’s getting her own series that’s completely focused on Okoye.
However, what the casting news does signify is that Marvel is still fully invested in the world of Wakanda despite the tragic loss of Chadwick Boseman. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the sequel to the breakout first film and global phenomenon, is still moving ahead, and the original cast have spoken candidly about how dedicated they are to making sure the film honors Boseman’s legacy.
“It feels spiritually and emotionally correct to do this,” Lupita Nyong’o recently told Yahoo. “And hopefully, what I do look forward to, is getting back together and honoring what he started with us and holding his light through it. ”
(Via The Hollywood Reporter)