Why Angela Bassett Knew Black Panther Was Something Special

Angela Bassett in Black Panther

A few months before Avengers: Infinity War arrived and started blowing the world away, Black Panther was doing the exact same thing. From opening day, the superhero film captivated audiences, breaking a ton of records and making boatloads of money in the process. It's fair to say that Black Panther was a legitimate phenomenon, and it certainly helps that it also happens to be a great movie. While the majority of the world had to learn this in theaters, Angela Bassett, who stars as Queen Ramonda in Black Panther, knew that it was something special on the set.

There's some moments and some sets where everyone catches the fever of it, the heat of it, and they're bringing the best to the moment. They're giving the full measure of their devotion, everyone. And that's what you experienced and felt and saw on that set.

In Black Panther, Angela Bassett plays Queen Ramada, T'Challa's mother. She doesn't have an especially large role in the movie, but she does provide a strong anchor that helps keep things together after Killmonger takes the throne. Bassett is great in the role, and the actress could feel the energy on the set as everyone was collaborating to make what would become one of the highest grossing superheroes films ever made. It was that energy and spirit that warned her early on that Black Panther was going to be something special, and the movie definitely went on to prove her right.

During The Hollywood Reporter's Drama Actress Roundtable, Angela Bassett, along with talking about her Ryan Murphy-produced TV series 911, dropped a few thoughts about Black Panther. Even from just watching Black Panther, it's easy to tell that there were an energy and style behind it that was running at 100%. To be on that set must have been amazing, and Bassett confirmed as much.

The ending of Infinity War makes things a bit tricky, but Marvel Studios is definitely interested in pursuing Black Panther 2. Kevin Feige has stated that the ball is pretty much in director Ryan Coogler's court on when he wants to come back and work on the sequel. Hopefully, the sequel will be able to retain the same amount of energy and devotion which made the original movie so special.

We've got a long way before seeing Black Panther up on screen again, but there's plenty else to keep you occupied until then. The summer is just getting started so be aware of the big movies coming that you won't want to miss. For everything else arriving for the rest of the year, be sure to explore our 2018 movie release guide, which has every major release coming to theaters.

Matt Wood

Matt has lived in New Jersey his entire life, but commutes every day to New York City. He graduated from Rowan University and loves Marvel, Nintendo, and going on long hikes and then greatly wishing he was back indoors. Matt has been covering the entertainment industry for over two years and will fight to his dying breath that Hulk and Black Widow make a good couple.