'Black Panther' Release Date, News: Michael B. Jordan Draws Inspiration From Heath Ledger's Joker in Playing Killmonger
"Black Panther" will arrive in theaters two months ahead of "Avengers: Infinity War," and it is now shaping up to be the second most anticipated Marvel film of 2018. Earlier this week, Michael B. Jordan, who will play the major villain in the film, revealed that he was inspired by the performances of two villains outside the Marvel Cinematic Universe in portraying his role as the detestable Erik Killmonger.
Fans have yet to see how "Black Panther" will perform at the box office, but early details about the film reveal that it is going to feature Killmonger as its major villain. In the MCU, Killmonger was formerly N'Jakada, a Wakandan warrior who was once exiled with his family by T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman). In "Black Panther," he returns years after his exile to avenge the death of his father.
In a recent interview with Empire, Jordan revealed that he took inspiration from Heath Ledger's Joker in "The Dark Knight" and Michael Fassbender's Magneto in the recent "X-Men" trilogy in playing his villainous role in "Black Panther."
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"You see performances as an actor, and as a fan, you look at Heath Ledger's performance, say, in 'The Dark Knight,' and it's like, 'Wow.' I want to try to get something like that. You want Michael Fassbender's Magneto. Just trying to find my place amongst those roles, and strive for that, even if I don't make it," he said.
Although most Marvel films are acclaimed by both fans and critics, they are often criticized because of their weak villains. With Killmonger mining inspiration from two of the most remarkable comic book baddies, it is intriguing to know how "Black Panther" will fare in the bad guy department and be able to deliver an antagonist to remember in the form of Jordan's character.
Directed by Ryan Coogler, "Black Panther" will arrive in theaters on Feb. 16, 2018.
