A few days ago, we finally got the confirmation Christopher Judge is voicing Black Panther in Marvel’s Avengers. The actor has been in various projects ranging from Stargate SG-1, The Dark Knight Rises to The Mentalist. He also has a history of voicing video game characters. 2018’s God of War is a stand-out performance and reminded everyone of the power of his voice.
So, he’s been a fan-favorite to take on the iconic mantle since the character got first announced. In today’s Crystal Dynamics stream, viewers had the chance to ask questions to the actor to find out his approach to bringing the character to life. Here are some of the highlights from that stream:
- Yes, he got to say Wakanda Forever! He even rocked a shirt with it during the stream. He revealed he was hiding his Black Panther outfits so no one would realize he got the role.
- Black Panther is a character that Judge always wanted to play but never thought he’d get the chance. He only takes roles he 100% believes in, which was his prerequisite before taking it.
- The actor highlighted his love for the character and his social relevance being an integral part of tackling the character. It was a humbling experience, especially getting to work alongside Evan Narcisse was a highlight. They geeked out for a bit on stream.
- He confessed he’s a nerd and has been collecting comics since the 60s. So, he had some insight into the character.
- His main goal was to make the role his own. He worked with Beth Maguire, who was the dialect coach on the Marvel Studios film.
- She offered insight into how he can approach the accent and its history as she traveled through Africa to experience the Native languages first-hand. She was very strict on his accent and made sure he stayed true to it.
- As he usually plays bulky and muscular characters, he lost around 32 pounds to “feel” like T’Challa. He’s a more athletic character, and the actor wanted to get into the right headspace.
- His biggest challenge was recording everything from home in isolation. He couldn’t play off the other actors. So, he had to do a lot of prep-work on the characters, their interactions, and relations. It was sadly a restriction due to the pandemic.
- Working with Crystal Dynamics was not only a great experience but also an emotional anchor during the pandemic. Their shared belief and passion for the character helped him get through the rough times.
- Judge confirmed he’s been working on the character for a year-and-a-half.
His passion for the project is infectious. In the Entertainment Weekly article, he did hint that he was hesitant to tackle the role after Chadwick Boseman‘s tragic passing. He highlights how they are trying to make this a very unique take on the character. They want to carry on the legacy. This version of T’Challa has been in his role for some time. So, we can expect a way more experienced Black Panther once the War for Wakanda expansion releases in August.
Source: Twitch, Entertainment Weekly
