The Internet Has Delivered the 1990s Black Panther We Wish We’d Had

It’s kind of bananas that it took until 2018 for Hollywood to deliver something like the beautifully executed depiction of black excellence known as Marvel’s Black Panther. It’s very easy to wonder how different our lives, and our country, might be if we’d had films like this a little earlier. Well, one fan on Instagram decided to try and make the 90’s Black Panther of his imagination real.

Calling it #bladepanther, @takemymoneystudios on Instagram casts 1990s Wesley Snipes as T’Challa, with Denzel Washington as Killmonger, creating an alternate-universe movie poster:

#wesleysnipes Fever Dream Project of a 90s superhero film #blackpanther didn’t happen, but some Hollywood producers are probably crying in a really nice luxury trailer thinking of how much richer 💰 they could have been #bladepanther * * #denzelwashington #blackpanthermovie #blackpantherparty #wakanda #wakandaforever #marvelstudios #marvelmemes #avengersinfinitywar #avengers #infinitywar #tchalla #afrocentric #michaelbjordan #chadwickboseman #lupitanyongo #letitiawright #likeback #likeforlikes #followtrain #followback #tbthursday #tbt #korea #joburg #atl #atlanta #paris

A post shared by Take My Money Studios (@takemymoneystudios) on Mar 29, 2018 at 4:18am PDT

And not only did he do the one movie poster, but he also started doing individual character posters, including the intriguing choice of Lisa Bonet as Shuri:

If Lisa Bonet can tame #khaldrogo I think she can stand her ground as #shuri to her King/Brother #tchalla * 1st Character poster in my #bladepanther series, imagining #blackpanther characters in @realwesleysnipes “what if” 90s #blackpanthermovie * * * #wakandaforever #wakandan #wakandaforever✊🏾 #marvel #avengersinfinitywar #lisabonet #zoekravitz #jasonmomoa #letitiawright #marveledit #90saction #fanartfriday #flashbackfriday #flygirlfriday #mcu #blackwomenrock #womeninfilm #naturallyshesdope #naturallycurly #nakia #flygirl

A post shared by Take My Money Studios (@takemymoneystudios) on Mar 30, 2018 at 9:57am PDT

And check out this amazing VHS video cover this person designed:

I found my VHS cover of the lost 90’s Wesley Snipes #blackpanther but I can’t find the video cassette 😩#bladepanther 🔥 * * #denzelwashington #blackpanthermovie #blackpantherparty #wakanda #wakandaforever✊🏾 #marvelstudios #marvelmemes #avengersinfinitywar #avengers #infinitywar #tchalla #afrocentric #likeback #likesforlikes #followtrain #followbacknow #tbt #tbthursday #openingday #openingday2018 #göteborg #oslo #atl #montmartre #thursdaythoughts

A post shared by Take My Money Studios (@takemymoneystudios) on Mar 29, 2018 at 7:09am PDT

Well, of course, the Internet had their own ideas about casting a 1990s Black Panther, and some of these choices are amazing:

90s Black Panther would have Michael Jai White as M’Baku

— de bleck penta (@fivefifths) April 4, 2018

James Earl Jones as Zuri

— de bleck penta (@fivefifths) April 4, 2018

Wesley Snipes as T’challa, Regina King as Nakia, Jada Pickett as Shuri, Mekhi Phifer as W’kabi, Dawn Lewis as Okoye, Bokeem Woodbine as Killmonger, Paul Giomatti as the white guy, Patti LaBelle as T’challa’s mom, https://t.co/oN9eO7r3QD

— ava hoodVernay (@_ebonibee) April 4, 2018

Tom Hanks as Special Agent Ross
Eddie Murphy as W’Kabi
Lawerence Fishbourne as Zuri
Isaiah Washington as N’Jobu
Halle Berry as Nakia
Jamie Foxx as Kilmonger
Will Smith as T’Challa
Angela Bassit as Okoye
Jada Pinket as Shuri
Morgan Freeman as T’Chaka
Nichelle Smith as Ramonda https://t.co/pZWLXxQdAN

— Chopped Cheese Papí (@RobCassahnova) April 4, 2018

Tatyana Ali as Shuri #90sBlackPanther

— Jerry Rozier (@BostonJerry) April 4, 2018

So, of course, I’ve gotta ask: who would you cast in #BladePanther? Give us your picks below!

(via Blavity, image: Marvel)

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