Will Smith’s desire to portray a superhero could be satisfied inBlack Panther 3, and I’m sure there’s anMCUrole that he could perfectly portray.Black Panther 3has finally been confirmedafter more than two years of silence from Marvel Studios following the release ofBlack Panther: Wakanda Foreverin November 2022. Confirmation thatBlack Panther 3would be going ahead came after longtime Marvel Studios executive Nate Moore parted ways with the studio in December, with Moore confirming that he would be working on the sequel in an external capacity.
This isn’t all we’ve heard about theprogress ofBlack Panther 3. Confirmation that the project would be going ahead came soon after Denzel Washington let slip that he was asked to work on the movie.Denzel Washington’s Black Panther 3 roleis to be confirmed, but it has opened up a wider conversation about who else may pick up a role in one of the MCU’s most popular franchises.
Will Smith is one such actor at the forefront of this conversation. WhileWill Smith’sBlack Panther 3roleis currently firmly in the realm of fan casts, it has certainly become a hot topic given he is one of an ever-shrinking list of Hollywood stars yet to take their place in the most successful cinematic franchise of all time. While fan-made trailers have put Will Smith front and center as the star of theBlack Pantherthreequel, I think there’s a role worthy of his star power that could perfectly pay off his superhero dreams.
Will Smith Has Said He Wants To Play A Black Superhero
Smith Wants To Embody Black Excellence
Over three years ago, Will Smith sat down withGQto discussEmancipation, a historical action thriller developed by Smith andApple TV+that depicts the self-emancipation of “Whipped Peter,” the character that Smith himself portrays. Before asserting that callingEmancipationa “slavery movie” would be a disservice, Will Smith stated in the interview that he always wanted to avoid making movies about slavery, andinstead wanted to portray a “superhero” in a role that conveyed Black excellence. His full quote is as follows:
“I’ve always avoided making films about slavery. In the early part of my career… I didn’t want to show Black people in that light. I wanted to be a superhero. So I wanted to depict Black excellence alongside my white counterparts. I wanted to play roles that you would give to Tom Cruise. And the first time I considered it was Django. But I didn’t want to make a slavery film about vengeance.”
To set aside the obvious,Will Smith has starred in two superhero movies already. The first was as the titular character in 2008’sHancock, an off-piste take on the superhero genre in which Smith’s John Hancock is an alcoholic amnesiac with superpowers striving to unearth his forgotten origins. The second 2016’sSuicide Squad, where Smith portrayed Deadshot, the deadly assassin known for being the greatest marksman in the DC mythos.
However, I’d argue thatneither role counts. At best, both constitute antiheroes, although I’d pedantically argue that Deadshot is technically a villain. Either way, I don’t think it’s exactly what Smith had in mind when stating that he wanted to depict a superhero on-screen. With the door wide open for Will Smith to join the MCU, however, I think there is aBlack Panther 3role that would be a much better fit for Smith’s superhero dreams.
I Know Exactly What Marvel Character Will Smith Can Play In Black Panther 3
Will Smith Could Portray The Original Black Panther
I thinkBlack Panther3should finally delve into the character from which the titular mantle originated: Bashenga. Bashenga is introduced inBlack Panther’s opening scenes asthe first Wakandan to ingest the heart-shaped herb and become Black Panther following a vision granted by Bast. The origins of thenow-legendary Black Panther mantleare then set aside asBlack Pantherhones in on the mantle’s modern holders and the legacy of Wakanda.
Bashenga’s story may also be depicted inEyes of Wakanda, which is due to start streaming on Disney+ on August 25.
Given Bashenga existed in Wakanda’s infancy millennia ago, I’m not suggesting thatBlack Panther 3should take place around that time. It is still possible, however, to delve into Bashenga’s legacy either via flashbacks orthrough the Ancestral Plane, where several now-departed Wakandans have communicated with living Black Panthers.Bashenga’s importance to the Black Panther franchise bears elaboration, after all, and I think the role of the original Black Panther would fit Will Smith’s desire to portray a Black superhero that embodies Black excellence perfectly.
Will Marvel Actually Cast Will Smith In Black Panther 3?
Casting Will Smith Would Stack The Black Panther 3 Cast
The fact thatBlack Panther 3has already cast Hollywood royalty like Denzel Washington suggests that Marvel Studios isn’t pulling any punches with its third Black Panther movie.Will Smith could, therefore, be another illustrious addition to the cast, helping to cementBlack Panther 3as one ofthe MCU’s biggest upcoming movieswith a particularly stacked cast. Whether Marvel Studios wishes to pay up for two such high-profile actors, however, is another matter.
Still, given Will Smith’s wishes to portray a hero that embodies “Black excellence,” I think Black Panther 3 could provide a golden opportunity.
Still, given Will Smith’s wishes to portray a hero that embodies “Black excellence,” I thinkBlack Panther 3could provide a golden opportunity. Without confirmation by Marvel Studios on who might be joining Denzel Washington inBlack Panther 3, however,Smith’s possible involvement is still a matter of pure speculation. Either way, I’ll keep my fingers crossed.
Black Panther 3
Black Panther 3 is the unannounced but teased third entry in the series of films that exists as a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film will pick up some time after the events of Wakanda Forever, with the new Black Panther once again taking up the mantle.
