Winston Duke shot to fame after landing the role of Jabari Tribe leader M’Baku in the highly successful Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film The Black Panther. Since then, the actor has gone on to reprise his role in Avengers: Infinity War alongside the late Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa. And now, fans can also look forward to seeing Duke again in the highly anticipated sequel Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.And while he’s already somewhat of a regular presence in the MCU, it seems Duke is keen to get involved even more. In fact, the actor has readily said he would be willing to star in his own M’Baku spinoff in case that’s something Marvel Studios would like to explore.
Black Panther Was Winston Duke’s ‘Biggest Audition’ So Far
True to Marvel’s tradition of total secrecy, Duke recalled that he was only told that he was auditioning for an “untitled Marvel project” at first. As the whole process went on, however, the actor eventually managed to put the pieces together.
“I didn’t know what I was auditioning for until…maybe the third round of auditions. It was a director’s session, with [writer-director] Ryan Coogler and [executive producer] Nate Moore in the room,” Duke recalled. “That’s when I realized it was Black Panther.”
By then, he also realized what a big deal the project was. “At that point, this would be my biggest audition. And that’s when the nerves kicked in,” Duke said.
“I also had in my head at that time that if it’s a Marvel project, they most likely know who they want. It’s gonna go to someone bigger. Someone established. Someone with a big name. Someone with a lot more cachet than me—at that point—a TV actor with some theater under his belt.”
Winston Duke Says There’s More Of M’Baku In Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
When fans catch up with M’Baku in the upcoming sequel, he’s no longer the isolated tribal leader that he used to be following the death of T’Challa.
“M’Baku is really forced to catch up with the times. His role is changed. He survived the Snap. He is now part of their Tribal Council, so he’s more forward-facing and less insular,” Duke explained.
“So he’s been forced to really be a part of the collective transparency. I think that’s a really cool thing for him, and you get to see a whole new dynamic including him.”
Moreover, because of M’Baku’s new role in Wakanda, the actor also says the character has a more prominent presence in the film this time around.
“You’re getting tastes, all over the place, with M’Baku. You’re gonna see more. In some ways, he’s the same old M’Baku, where he’s very honest, very direct, and unapologetic. He’s so cool. But we also get an expansion of who he is,” Duke revealed.
“You really get to see him grow in his role, and you see how everyone utilizes his presence. It just grows, so you’re gonna see a lot more. If you liked him, you’re getting more.”
And while M’Baku was essentially introduced as Black Panther’s rival at first, they have since developed a friendship and even became allies against Thanos (Josh Brolin).
“I never think of Marvel villains as villains. They’re all so complex that I always just call them antagonists. They just want different stuff, and they’ll go head-to-head with our “heroes” to get what they want,” the actor explained.
“M’Baku understands the complexity of the situation. In that way, his mind is always open, and it’s always working. I’m really excited for people to see the complexity inside this movie.”
Winston Duke Is Also Open To Doing An M’Baku Spinoff
Beyond the Black Panther sequel, it is unclear when fans can expect to see Duke in the MCU again, at least for now. That said, it is also worth noting that Marvel Studios is yet to announce its entire Phase 6 lineup, although a Black Panther series by Coogler is already in the works.
And while no further details regarding that project have been revealed, for now, Duke has already said that he’s open to doing an entire spinoff on M’Baku, whether that would be for the big screen or Disney+.
“I like the idea of what M’Baku would be like, out in the world. That would be pretty cool because he’s not a character that we usually see exploring,” the actor said. “I think his type of code of honor would be pretty cool to see interact with so many other things.”
At the same time, he also noted that there is more about M’Baku’s tribe that can be explored. “The Jabari-Lands are such a rich space of culture within Wakanda that it would be really cool to explore that,” Duke explained.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is set to premiere in theaters on November 11, 2022.
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