Jame Foxx Trying to Cast LL Cool J as Black Panther

[Kefkataran]

Kudos to CBR (http://www.comicbookresources.com) for this one. Among the huge list of Marvel properties being churned into films of late is Black Panther, one of the first black superheroes from Marvel's silver age resurgance. This article (http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/article/foxx%20fights%20to%20get%20ll%20cool%20j%20cast%20 as%20the%20panther_1002079) from Contact Music gives us a hint of what we might expect if this project gets going:

Oscar winner-turned-R+B hunk JAMIE FOXX has turned his attention to casting in an effort to land former foe LL COOL J a leading role in new comic book adaptation PANTHER. The two pals were once sworn enemies after clashing on the set of American football drama ANY GIVEN SUNDAY, but after a couple of live and studio collaborations this year (06), Foxx has chosen to become the rap icon's "hype man." ... Foxx now thinks LL Cool J is the only star who can play the Panther on the big screen. "I said, 'My man, you the only cat that can really pull this off. There's this black superhero called Panther.' So we started talking about that, did a couple of records together. "We're trying to get this Panther production set up, because I think he'll smash that."

Smash that, indeed.

[PantherModern]

Hm. Well, I tend to disagree Mr. Foxx. I think someone with a bit more gravitas would be more appropriate. Maybe Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (Eko on Lost) or even Djimon Hounsou. LL Cool just doesn't scream T'Challa, heir of Wakanda to me.

[reimomo]

Ah, idealizing drug dealers, pimps, and cop-killers. God bless america.

edit: oh, rain-BOWS....

[Adam Blue]

Negative. I say Wesley Snipes.

[Deadend]

I have a horrible vision of Black Panther ending up exactly like Blade... but without vampires.

To me a Black Panther movie would mix politics and superheros as T'Challa tries to bring order to his native land. I also imagine it as being Batman... but black, which would be lame for everyone.

[Heretic Machine]

LL Cool J should be as far away from this production as possible. Deep Blue Sea anyone? Deepest Bluest might of been the worst song done for any motion picture, ever. Even worse than that gem from Men in Black 2, Black Suits Comin' (Nod Ya Head) by Will Smith.

[Xerxes]

Ah, idealizing drug dealers, pimps, and cop-killers. God bless america.

LL Cool J? Pfft he's the softest(Not a dis but more then 50% of his songs been love rap) rapper around next to will smith....
What are you smoking... :confused:

[phantomhitman]

Ah, idealizing drug dealers, pimps, and cop-killers. God bless america.

you must be a huge ll fan seeing that you think he is either
1-still a rapper
2-or all of the music he has put out is somehow "gangster"

I agree that he is not the best actor, or even good, but way to generalize that all current black musician are like that. god bless the intraweb. :rolleyes:

[kokyunage]

What was the Black Panthers power? Or was he basically a Batman character only black?

[BigJonno]

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Chiwetel Ejiofor (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0252230/)

[Xerxes]

I was thinking the about the operative... His head is a nice sqaure shape.

[SexualChoc]

I dunno how to think about this. When you put that name with a comic movie, it kinda goes all crappy. I don't read Black Panther, so I can't say how accurate that is. But if his past movie credentials are anything to go by, then it looks like a no.

[EGO]

Djimon Hounsou would be perfect.

LL has never been "gangsta", because he's one of the FOUNDING FATHERS of RAP and was here LONG BEFORE LL is a solid rapper and people that diss him are the same idiots that think that rap started with 50 Cent. If you want some education, go listen to the Mama Said album, then tell me LL's irrelevant.

Oh and yeah, as usual, the internet shows just how backwards people are out there, with their views towards majorities (I'm tired of saying "minorities", because ... face it... the so called "minorities" make up the majority!)...

"a black Batman would be no good for anyone," indeed.
(man, why is the internet filled with such ignorance?)

Back on topic; This movie could be Blade or it could easily be Daredevil. Why Marvel doesn't just stick to A-list superheroes is beyond me. Want to do a black superhero movie Marvel? Why not Green Lantern? Storm spin-off? War Machine?

[HarbingerZero]

Put me down as another vote for Djimon Hounsou.

[Xerxes]

Now a war machine movie would be kick ass but isn't that the same as the Iron Man movie for the most part.

[Ernst_Jager]

I have zero desire to see another super hero movie. Especially one almost completely being made just because of a persons race. Anyone ever even read Panther?

[Xerxes]

Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje and Djimon Hounsou are both fit actors who could pull off a super heros shoes... Not as cut as LL but they would be better suited naturally than LL and both are better actors.

[AniAko]

What was the Black Panthers power? Or was he basically a Batman character only black?

Hehe, funny you mention that. It was for more or less Marvel's “Batman”. His silhouette was even remarkably close to that of Batman’s.

[Xerxes]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Panther_%28comics%29

[KSmitty]

Ah, idealizing drug dealers, pimps, and cop-killers. God bless america.

I have zero desire to see another super hero movie. Especially one almost completely being made just because of a persons race. Anyone ever even read Panther?
Wow, what wonderfully informed opinions... :rolleyes:


I vote for Djimon Honsou also, I think he has a better build and a better 'regalness?' than Mr Eko.

-K

[Zulu107]

When the hell did LL do gangsta rap? Get a clue or go buy one, thats pretty stupid to say that we idealize drug dealers, pimps, and gangsters. I'm with Chiwetel Ejiofor or Djimon Hounsou. But LL, I hope not.

[Grimgrock]

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Chiwetel Ejiofor (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0252230/)

Before I saw it in the credits of this guy (that is before I clicked the link), I was thinking of the guy who played the operative on Serenity. I can't say I've ever heard of this particular super hero before but I know that Chiwetel was excellent in Serenity.

[digitalErich]

Why Marvel doesn't just stick to A-list superheroes is beyond me. Want to do a black superhero movie Marvel? Why not Green Lantern? Storm spin-off? War Machine?
For starters, Green Lantern is a DC property, but I get what you are saying.

[Kefkataran]

Hm. Well, I tend to disagree Mr. Foxx. I think someone with a bit more gravitas would be more appropriate. Maybe Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (Eko on Lost) or even Djimon Hounsou. LL Cool just doesn't scream T'Challa, heir of Wakanda to me.

Akinnuoye-agbaje could be interesting, but he's a bit too big for a more acrobatic hero like Black Panther, I'd think.

What was the Black Panthers power? Or was he basically a Batman character only black?

No powers, I don't think, but he's pretty different from Batman. He's the leader of his own nation in Africa, Wakanda. Most of his superheroics center around protecting and building up that nation.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Chiwetel Ejiofor

I'd buy it.


Back on topic; This movie could be Blade or it could easily be Daredevil. Why Marvel doesn't just stick to A-list superheroes is beyond me. Want to do a black superhero movie Marvel? Why not Green Lantern? Storm spin-off? War Machine?

Are you suggesting War Machine is more well-known than Black Panther? Because I really doubt it. War Machine's not even close to A-list. I'm not saying Black Panther is either, but still.

I have zero desire to see another super hero movie. Especially one almost completely being made just because of a persons race. Anyone ever even read Panther?

I hear the current run on Black Panther by Hudlin is good, but, well, I fucking hate Hudlin's writing.

[Dracula-X]

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Chiwetel Ejiofor (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0252230/)
FTW. We can close this thread now. :)

[MosBen]

Seriously, Chiwetel Ejiofor FTW. I'm not sure if the accent fits The Black Panther, but he's just such a good actor that I don't care.

And really, The Black Panther share a silhouette with Batman, but he's anything but the same. Still, perceptions matter, and the ignorant people out there that only care about that fact may doom the movie before it even gets started. Who knows, maybe a nice costume redesign will change that.

[Kefkataran]

I'll be the first to say it: bapenguin for Black Panther. You fucking heard it here first.

[Zurik]

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Chiwetel Ejiofor (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0252230/)

That guy was awesome in both Serenity and Inside Man! Honestly, if they got someone like him to do the part it would make me very happy.

[jeffool]

Yeah, I have no hate for LL, but pretty much everyone listed here would be a better choice for T'Challa than him. Even bapenguin or Jamie Foxx himself.

And if it hasn't been said enough, yeah, he's kinda like Batman. Batman acts to protect the people of Gotham, so he does criminal vigilante acts. Black Panther does slightly more criminal vigilante acts to protect the people of his country, Wakanda. Unlike Batman, Panther doesn't really care what happens to the people he ends up fighting in NYC.

[Maskatron]

I was going to say Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje too. He was awesome on Oz. I didn't know he was on Lost now (I'm still watching the 1st season dvds).

[JazGalaxy]

I'm not really digging all these people comparing The Black Panther to Batman. He's an entirely different charachter in his original incarnation and only lately has taken on some more Batman like qualities. And more than that, the Batman like qualities that he possesses or only 1 take on Batman and not even the dominant one. The Batman that the modern Panther emulates is the version of Batman that was mostly stolen from James Bond.

[MosBen]

Seriously folks, the Black Panther *looks* a bit like Batman and that's where the major similarities end. Let's break it down and run through the really intrinsic qualities of both characters...

Batman: Traumatized by the death of his parents, Bruce Wayne dedicates his life to fighting crimes in Gotham. His distrust of super powered individuals, particularly aliens, has led to an all consuming paranoia which causes all kinds of trouble. He's possibly the world's greatest detective and broods like a mother fucker.

The Black Panther: The most recent in a line of leaders of the country of Wakanda, the mantle of The Black Panther is hereditary to the royal family. Wakanda possesses valuable deposits of vibranium which are nearly always under attack from foreign interests, indeed, protecting his country's interests is the primary business of The Black Panther. Beyond that, BP occassionally goes on missions confronting the racism that still exists in the world. He generally gets along with his many superhero friends insofar as their interests don't collide with the needs of his country. Every Panther eats a special herb that gives him enhanced senses.

To a certain exent you could compare any superheroes and find overlap, particularly heroes that like the color black. But really, any statement that these two men are the same is an entirely superficial one.

[MosBen]

One more thing, LL has a lot of charisma on screen, even if he's been in mostly crap movies. Sure, Deep Blue Sea sucked, but it wasn't because of him. In fact, he and Sam Jackson were far and away the best things in there, and Jackson was only in the movie for twenty freakin' minutes.

But man, I love him in Toys.

[reimomo]

Wow, what wonderfully informed opinions... :rolleyes:


I vote for Djimon Honsou also, I think he has a better build and a better 'regalness?' than Mr Eko.

-K

Well, since members of the Black Panthers have admitted for years that their organization was half anti-white power structure, half criminal... I'll stand by my pimps, drug dealers, and cop-killers statement. I've always found it interesting that the Black Panters were idealized into civil rights heroes. Many of those people were BAD people, and I don't think you get to avoid criticism about your organization for the good things it tried to do when so many people in it were so obviously fuckers.

Please, tell me white america made them be drug dealers. Pretty please :)

[Kefkataran]

Well, since members of the Black Panthers have admitted for years that their organization was half anti-white power structure, half criminal... I'll stand by my pimps, drug dealers, and cop-killers statement. I've always found it interesting that the Black Panters were idealized into civil rights heroes. Many of those people were BAD people, and I don't think you get to avoid criticism about your organization for the good things it tried to do when so many people in it were so obviously fuckers.

Please, tell me white america made them be drug dealers. Pretty please

Okay, but that really has nothing to do with the Marvel Black Panther.

[Mac]

Well, since members of the Black Panthers have admitted for years that their organization was half anti-white power structure, half criminal... I'll stand by my pimps, drug dealers, and cop-killers statement. I've always found it interesting that the Black Panters were idealized into civil rights heroes. Many of those people were BAD people, and I don't think you get to avoid criticism about your organization for the good things it tried to do when so many people in it were so obviously fuckers.

Please, tell me white america made them be drug dealers. Pretty please :)

The Black Panther the super hero has nothing to do with the civil group apart from the name. You need to inform yourself before you throw your opinion around and especially before you make some snarky, smart ass comment.

[MosBen]

Actually, I believe the comic book Black Panther predates the civil rights organization's use of the name. Also, even if we assume that you're right and the organization's bad deeds outweigh their good, that still doesn't explain the pimps and drug dealers part of your statement. The Black Panther Party surely did many criminal acts, but they were never pimps or drug dealers. Hell, they probably hate(d) pimps and drug dealers more than any of us.

Come on, just admit that you were ill-informed and misspoke.

[Kefkataran]

Actually, I believe the comic book Black Panther predates the civil rights organization's use of the name.

I think you're right, although I'm not completely sure.