Black Panther 2: Michael B. Jordan Wants To Return as Marvel Villain

Marvel Studios is at the beginning of its next journey after the Infinity Saga, kicking off Phase 4 of the MCU which is more jam-packed with content than any previous slate.

With a handful of projects nearly ready to release to the public and WandaVision recently starting its run on Disney+, multiple production teams are hard at work to bring movies and shows releasing both later this year and in 2022.

Other projects further down the line in the Phase 4 slate are still in the earliest stages of development, but the hype for them is building quickly nonetheless. One of these highly anticipated projects is Black Panther II, which will look to carry on from the successes of Marvel Studios' first Academy Award-winning blockbuster.

This film still has plenty of uncertainty surrounding it, especially taking into account the unexpected death of its lead man Chadwick Boseman. Marvel Studios is surely scarmbling to figure out the best way to move forward with the Black Panther sequel, and a big star from the first film just said he would be more than happy to take another shot at his MCU role.

MICHAEL B JORDAN WANTS MORE KILLMONGER 

In a recent interview with People magazine, Black Panther star Michael B. Jordan expressed how "very, very near and dear to [his] heart" his time with Marvel Studios was. Additionally, he spoke on how tough last year was for him after the loss of his MCU co-star Chadwick Boseman:

"That's something that is very, very near and dear to my heart for a lot of obvious reasons. [I] had a really tough year losing somebody close to me. And what that means for that franchise is it was devastating."

Despite that challenge, Jordan is willing to return to the role of Erik Killmonger should Marvel Studios ask him to come back for the 2022 sequel:

"But being in that world in a character that I loved playing, and working with [writer/director Ryan Coogler] and all that good stuff, it's family. We created a family over there. So to be able to be in that world again is something that, I think, will always be on the table in some capacity."

ANOTHER MCU RESURRECTION? 

Michael B. Jordan's portrayal of Erik Stevens/Killmonger in 2018's Black Panther was overwhelmingly popular as the film earned wild success in its theatrical run. The villain is widely regarded as one of the best that Marvel Studios has ever brought to the big screen, and plenty of fans were disappointed after he was killed off in his first MCU appearance.

Rumors have pointed to a Killmonger return in some capacity for Black Panther II, although it's difficult to predict if he would be brought back to life in full or not. There is the chance that Killmonger could come back through the Soul World, which both he and T'Challa visited in Black Panther after ingesting the Heart-Shaped Herb, but there are no set details planned out yet.

It's clear that Jordan holds his time with Marvel Studios in high regard, and that he had a particularly close relationship with the late Chadwick Boseman as they went to battle on screen against each other. He understands the magnitude of this loss more than most, and it seems clear that if he were to return as Killmonger, he would do everything in his power to add a very respectful yet meaningful layer of depth to the next Black Panther adventure.

Black Panther II is currently scheduled to begin filming in July before it releases in theaters next summer on July 8, 2022.