Angela Bassett Joins 'Black Panther' Cast as T'Challa's Mother

The star-studded cast of Marvel's upcoming "Black Panther" movie just added another A-list actress to the ensemble, with Oscar nominee Angela Bassett boarding the flick.

Marvel announced on Monday that Bassett will be playing Ramonda, who is the mother of protagonist T'Challa, a.k.a. Black Panther (played by Chadwick Boseman). In the "Black Panther" comics, Ramonda has a fairly dark back story; it's unclear how much of it will adapted for the hero's standalone flick, but if anyone can breathe life into the badass character, it's the equally badass Bassett.

Bassett's casting is just the latest coup for the feature, which has already shored up an impressive roster of talent. Boseman leads the starry ensemble, joined by Michael B. Jordan (playing villain Erik Killmonger), Oscar winner Forest Whitaker, Oscar winner Lupita Nyong'o(playing Nakia, a member of the all-female Dora Milaje royal guard and a love interest for T'Challa), Danai Gurira (playing Okoye, the leader of the Dora Milaje), Daniel Kaluuya, Winston Duke, and Florence Kasumba.

"Black Panther," directed by Ryan Coogler, is set to begin production sometime early next year. It's due in theaters on February 16, 2018.

[via: Marvel]

Photo credit: Getty Images

Article by Katie Roberts

Freelance Writer

Katie Nowak Roberts is a freelance writer and pop culture junkie based in Rochester, New York. Her work has also appeared in Uproxx, (585) magazine, Indianapolis Monthly, The Record newspaper (Troy, New York), Syracuse Woman Magazine, Making Music Magazine, and International Musician (official trade publication of the American Federation of Musicians).