“Person of Interest” actor Winston Duke has landed the henchman role of M’Baku — a.k.a. Man-Ape — in Marvel’s upcoming “Black Panther,” TheWrap has learned.
In the Marvel comics, M’Baku was one of Wakanda’s most powerful warriors and one of T’Challa’s biggest rivals.
Chadwick Boseman is set to star as T’Challa, the titular superhero from the fictional African nation of Wakanda, where parts of “Black Panther” will take place. The character was first introduced in “Captain America: Civil War.”
Ryan Coogler (“Creed”) is directing and co-writing “Black Panther, which also stars Michael B. Jordan, Danai Gurira and Lupita Nyong’o. Andy Serkis is reprising his role as Ulysses Klaw from “Avengers: Age of Ultron.”
Joe Robert Cole (FX’s “American Crime Story”) is co-writing “Black Panther” for Marvel. Cole has been part of Marvel’s in-house writer’s program, which counts “Guardians of the Galaxy” scribe Nicole Perlman among its alumni.
Kevin Feige is producing for Marvel Studios.
Disney is slated to release “Black Panther” on Feb. 16, 2018.
Duke recently graduated from the Yale School of Drama and had recurring roles on several TV shows, including “Major Crimes,” “The Messengers,” and “Person of Interest.”
Duke is repped by Abrams Artists Agency, Wenzel Entertainment, and Hansen, Jacobson, Teller, Hoberman, Newman, Warren, Richard, Rush & Kaller.
Marvel declined to comment.
Variety first broke the news of Duke’s involvement.