‘Black Panther’ Star Hints At Possible Disney+ Spin-Off Series In The Works

Danai Gurira, who plays the head of the guards in the marvel franchise "Black Panther" Okoye, just revealed that a spin-off for her character might be in the works. The actress was part of the original cast when the first installment of the movie was released in February 2018.

Gurira's character, Okoye, is the leader of the loyal and brave Wakandan warrior group, the Dora Milaje. Besides their role as an elite fighting unit, the group also stands guard to the royal family. After the first installment, the actress was a part of "Avengers: Infinity War, "Avengers: Endgame" and most recently "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever."

Keep on reading to learn more.

According to "Black Panther" star Gurira, fans can expect a spin-off based on Okoye in the future. In a Thursday interview with "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," the actress was asked to confirm if the studio was working on a spin-off series.

Gurira responded, "I have been told that I can gently allude to this possibility. Just gently"

The news first broke in 2021 after The Hollywood Reporter released a piece on influential Hollywood lawyers. The actress's lawyer, Jamie Mandelbaum, was mentioned as well as his achievements, one of which was snagging a deal with Disney+ for Gurira.

The outlet wrote that Mandelbaum "brokered a deal for actress Danai Gurira to not only reprise her role as Okoye in the upcoming Black Panther sequel but also in an origin spin-off series for Disney+."

Despite the report, neither Gurira nor the companies involved said anything about the potential spin-off since then.

Gurira reprised her role as Okoye in the 2022 "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever." The film was shot after Boseman's passing and shed light on how Wakanda carried on. Since its release, the movie has earned over $832 million worldwide at the box office and will be available on Disney+ on February 1.

Gurira's appearance on "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert" was to promote the blockbuster, and she revealed several other things besides her potential spin-off. According to the star, the purpose of the most recent installment was to honor Boseman and the amount of work he put into playing his titular role.

"So it was really about his legacy being respected and honored,' Gurira said per Insider. Boseman passed away in August 2020, aged 43, after a battle with colon cancer. The actor kept his health condition private the entire time until his family released news of his passing.

During the interview, Gurira also revealed that Okoye's journey in "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" initially surprised her. In the movie, Okoye is removed from her rank as general of the Dora Milaje and thrown out of the army after Shuri, played by Letitia Wright, gets captured by the villain while under her watch.

She said, "Trust me, when I first heard the script [and] when Ryan [Coogler, the director] sat me down and told me what happens, that I'm fired and all the rest, I was like, 'Woah, woah, woah. Let's discuss this.'"

The actress continued, "But then I realized how powerful it would be to actually allow a character like her to go through failing and complications that cause her to not be able to just stand strong and hold everything together. She has to go through her brokenness too."

Gurira further revealed that after the release of the film, several black women came to her and said that they "appreciated seeing her vulnerability" in the movie as well as her grief. This deviates from the regular "strong Black woman" image depicted in films.

Most times, black women are given roles that show them as strong caretakers and people who are not subject to sharing their emotions. They are usually not given the room to express their grief and emotions over events. "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" seems to deviate from this trend and fully showcases how the lead characters, a majority of which were black women, grieved.

Gurira is also set to star in "The Walking Dead" spin-off series as her character Michonne Hawthrone. Other actors like Andrew Lincoln's Rick Grimes will also be a part of the series.