Evan Alex, the young actor from Us, wants to play Black Panther’s son Azari in the upcoming sequel. Though there’s no confirmation as to whether or not Black Panther 2 will include - or even hint at - T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) having a son, Alex has still shown some serious interest.
Assuming Black Panther 2 were to consider including Azari, the film would certainly have to deviate from the source material. In the comics, the prince of Wakanda is the son of Black Panther and Storm, and seeing as Storm, nor any members of the X-Men, are part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the creative team behind Black Panther 2 would have to take some creative liberties. And, if Azari was to be included in the sequel, audiences would see that T’Challa’s son has inherited all of his special abilities derived from the Heart-Shaped Herb. Now, considering that Jordan Peele’s horror film Us includes two of Black Panther’s most prominent characters - Lupita Nyong’o, who plays Nakia, and Winston Duke, who plays M’Baku - Alex wants to tag along with his co-stars.
In an interview with Vulture, Alex was asked if he’d ever be interested in starring in a superhero movie, and he flat out stated that he wants to go further and play an actual superhero. He then elaborated, saying that he wants to be cast in Black Panther 2 as T’Challa’s super-powered son Azari. Finally, when asked if he’d be up for the challenge of challenging Black Panther for the throne, he said, “No! Why I gotta challenge for the throne when I’m the prince of Wakanda?!”
Now, even though Storm isn’t officially part of the MCU just yet, Marvel Studios is certainly making moves to make it happen. Now that the Disney/Fox deal has officially finalized, Disney owns Fox, which also means Disney owns X-Men. So, it’s only a matter of time before the X-Men enter the MCU; and once that happens, the door is wide open for T’Challa and Ororo Munroe to meet, thus opening the door even wider for Azari.
Assuming this plays out the way Alex hopes, his performance in Us more than proved that he has what it takes to carry the weight in a mainstream movie - even one as massive as an entry in the MCU. Though a role like Azari would no doubt require more physicality, his abilities paired with his passion should give him the edge in casting - assuming the MCU ever introduces Azari in the first place. It’d also make for a nice family reunion with Nyong’o and Duke.
More: Marvel Movie Timeline: A Complete History Of The MCU
Source: Vulture
- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Release Date: 2022-11-11
