Five Characters We Want to See Denzel Washington Portray In ‘Black Panther 3'

The acting icon revealed that Ryan Coogler is writing him a role in the next Wakanda adventure, and we have thoughts on who he should portray.

12 Nov 2024, 20:31 by Stephanie Holland · The Root

Photo: Toru Hanai (Getty Images)

Denzel Washington is receiving rave reviews and awards buzz for his performance as Macrinus in “Gladiator II,” but that hasn’t stopped the consummate artist from lining up his next batch of projects.

Elder T’Challa

Most fans’ immediate response was to envision Washington as an older, more grizzled T’Challa variant from an alternate universe. Maybe he comes to our Earth for help protecting his, or maybe he becomes a mentor for Shuri and her nephew Toussaint?

There was a time, way back in the day, at the very beginning of the early 2000s superhero movie boom when the acting icon’s name was being circulated to play Black Panther on the big screen. So if he were to join the MCU as an Elder T’Challa, it would be a full circle moment.

Elder Killmonger

The “Fences” star is so good at playing the bad guy, but he doesn’t get to do it often. He’d be a truly fascinating older version of Killmonger. A variant whose plan worked and he’s been ruling Wakanda with an iron fist and destroying its enemies for years. A battle weary Killmonger who’s seen the error of his ways could also make for an interesting character arc. Plus, some comic book story magic could give us a chance to see Washington and Michael B. Jordan in a scene together.

Bashenga

A popular choice among fans is Bashenga, the first King of Wakanda. He was a warrior who saved his people from a cosmic threat and essentially founded what his people would become.

What better role for an artist of Washington’s stature than for him to portray the literal Father of Wakanda? The only downside of him being Bashenga is that he can only appear in flashbacks or scenes involving the Ancestral Plane.

T’Chaka Variant

As memorable as John Kani was as Shuri and T’Challa’s father King T’Chaka, he was killed shortly after being introduced and we only got a few quick glimpses at his relationship with his children.

It would be a compelling character development for Shuri, as the Black Panther, to get a chance to connect with a variant of her father who is still the Black Panther. Perhaps a version with a little more swagger and cockiness? We’re sure Ryan has something far more creative in mind, but we’d love to see Shuri get some family members back.

Magneto

We know this one is a longshot, but we’re going for it anyway. We’ve previously heard rumors that Ryan Coogler could be working on the X-Men. What better way to introduce them to the MCU than in a Wakanda centric story? Someone who understands how to reveal all the layers of a complex character the way Washington does would deliver a completely fresh Magneto that doesn’t need to be compared to Ian McKellan’s unforgettable portrayal.

Of course we assume that anyone who signs on to join the X-Men universe won’t be a one-off appearance, so this one could be a little tricky.

Whether he takes on one of these roles, or something totally different, we know it’s going to be amazing and probably life-changing for Black fans.