'Black Panther's Michael B. Jordan & Chadwick Boseman on Cultural Impact & Identity

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- Gentlemen, welcome to MTV.
Good to see you guys.
- Thank you. - What's up man?
- Chadwick, Michael, this is a hell of a movie.
Black Panther is the movie, as if people didn't know.
And not only is it a great movie,
it's having a moment.
It really is.
This feels like a cultural moment.
- Yeah you could say that again.
- [Josh] Right?
(laughing)
- What's it like to just be in the middle of
not only just all this love,
but you know,
the cover of Time magazine,
social media exploding every day,
there really is a sense out there
that this movie is gonna change things
in a way that most movies can't and don't nowadays.
- It's taken on a life of its own.
You know like, sometimes,
like even just looking at what people create,
from the movie, the inspirations from the movie,
their own fan art, posters.
You know, recreating our posters,
like it's little kids recreating our posters.
- The GoFundMes and stuff.
- Yeah the GoFundmes.
It's amazing to watch it
the movie-ment of it
is very very interesting.
I've never seen anything like it before in my life.
- So we're just kinda stepping back
and just watching it just evolve and continue to grow
as we get closer to the release date.
- Yeah because I mean,
you guys obviously have been part of very
successful films before,
but this has to feel different.
Safe to say?
- Yeah, it's just massive.
It's on a whole other level.
Obviously when you deal with Marvel
and the reach of that film globally,
and how much it means to so many different people,
18 movies and this being the 19th one,
it definitely raises the bar
as far as other films that we've done so far.
As far as the scale is concerned.
- A lot of this begins and ends with
a filmmaker you know very well,
and obviously by now you know very well,
Ryan Coogler.
And I'm curious, like obviously a lot of discussion
probably before the making of the film
and during the making of the film
and now even into post, now,
about what you were trying to accomplish.
Was there discussion about like,
yes we want to make an entertaining film,
but this can be something more.
- Oh yeah. - This can mean something
to young black men and women out there.
- Yeah, yeah yeah.
The first conversation we had
I snuck into
the press junket that they were doing for Creed,
because nobody knew that he was considering
doing Panther at that time.
And we just tried to see if we
vibed, if we had the same idea about
what the Black Panther movie should be.
And that's pretty much all we talked about.
That this kind of potential
to actually
reach people in a different way.
And Ryan was very very particular about
the fact that he wanted to cast him,
and he wanted to see how would that combination work.
And the combination of us working together
is sort of what allows the debate and conflict of this movie
to unfold. - Yeah.
- Which we won't say too much about
- Yeah. - on here right now.
- No spoilers.
- But that was the conversation,
this movie is gonna be
a super hero movie,
it's gonna be about something,
because the Black Panther comic book
already is about something.
- Right. - But we have the opportunity
to put a particular stamp on it
- Yeah.
- If this conflict is able to happen.
- Yeah, I mean pretty much the same thing.
Kinda like when me and him jumped on the phone,
and you know but so many words of
if we do this thing right, it could be something
that could impact generations to come
and that's kinda the approach that we took on it.
And then when we actually start to screen it,
and people started giving feedback,
and their reactions to it,
it really starts to hit us that this is something
that could make a real cultural impact.
- Can we talk a little bit about,
at least hint a little bit about this relationship here?
Because the conflict between T'Challa and Killmonger
is, it's really a philosophical one, right?
Like they're coming from two different worlds.
We have Wakanda that's this kind of
secluded African nation that really hasn't been affected
by imperialism and slavery and all these kind of things
that have affected every other country on the planet.
And then we have Killmonger, that's,
it's from our world.
Like from Oakland, literally.
I don't think that's ruining too much, hopefully, right?
But talk to me a little bit. - No spoilers, man.
No spoilers.
(laughing)
- Nah you're good, you do your job.
- Here's my question, like what is the philosophical
debate between those two, without spoiling too much?
Is it something about coming from those two different worlds
and one being shut off from the rest of the world,
and one dealing with all the crap that
thousands of years of influence have?
- Well the, you know,
without spoiling.
(laughing)
(mumbling)
He leans out of here.
- Crop me out, crop me out.
(laughing)
- An African American
conflict with identity is that
you don't have, there's been a severing
of your past and your ancestry.
And so,
you can't name your
great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grands.
Whereas, I can.
And that connection that I have
to my past
also gives me a particular
interest in holding onto that past
and tells me how to deal with
the actual resources that we have.
He.
(laughing)
- Hmm.
- We can't spoil it.
(laughing)
- I'm not saying anything. - It's like this,
a character's past, no matter how deeply rooted,
or surface it may be,
it directly impacts that character's agenda.
T'Challa having a deep history
and a knowledge of self.
He was raised a certain type of way,
he has a certain stature, obviously royalty.
Killmonger didn't have that.
So you're gonna see what
what that could create. - Differences, yes.
- What that difference is and what that could create.
And it's a conversation because I think both sides,
both have valid points.
It just depends on where you stand,
and kind of where you're coming from.
- And you never see. - You did it,
you're still hired
don't worry, not becoming fired, you're good.
- You've never seen that,
that African, African American debate.
- Yeah.
- In film, on this stage and this platform
in this particular way,
and I think when you finish watching the film
you will continue to have it.
Or I'll continue to have it,
you get to hear it.
(laughing)
- Actually another thing I wanna mention,
because I think I fell in love
and I think a lot of people
that have gotten the chance to see the movie early on
with just the setting of the film,
and how it is its own story very much.
I mean I love all the Marvel movies,
but this one like,
you know 80% of it's probably in Wakanda.
I think there's gonna be,
I think as audiences see it, they're gonna experience
and they're gonna fall in love with Wakanda.
- Yeah.
- I'm sure you guys did. - Yeah.
Yeah, vacation's planned.
- Right.
(laughing)
Just needing to get on that, actually create Wakanda right?
(laughing)
So, what do you think the appeal is?
What do you think people,
early audiences are finding so attractive of that society
and what do you think future audiences
are gonna find interesting about it?
- I think it's the combination of the past
and the present, or the past and the future actually.
The fact that you have this Afrofuturist world
that actually uses the tradition along with its advancement.
- [Josh] Right.
- That combination of things is within the movie,
it's exquisite I think.
It's a beautiful thing to watch.
That you can hold onto something
and move forward at the same time.
- Now I get that you guys are in really good shape.
I appreciate that, congratulations on that.
But did there have to be so much shirtless scenes?
I feel like you were just like flaunting it in my face.
(laughing)
We get it.
- Hey, you blame Ryan.
- Yeah, I know right? - Come on.
- We out here, we just actors, man.
- Right. - We just doing
what's on the page, you know?
We just gotta show up.
- I was saying to this guy,
I was up at 3 a.m. last night with insomnia.
I'm looking on Instagram stories,
I'm in bed just doing nothing,
he's as the gym going bananas, going crazy.
(laughing)
- Oh, you posted your workout?
- Yeah, a little bit.
I couldn't sleep, I couldn't help it.
- So you had to get a video in?
- [Josh] So you had to?
- Migos song, you know what I'm saying,
Black Panther album on repeat.
- I worked out to that
last night, to be. - Is that right?
- Yeah, yeah.
- [Josh] The soundtrack's good for workouts?
- It is great. - You'd recommend it?
- Great for workouts. - It's really great for a lot,
you know what I'm saying?
It's really well balanced.
(laughing)
- I'm not even going anywhere with what I just heard.
It's good for a lot of stuff.
(laughing)
- Read into what you will.
- Hey man look, you guys take what you want from it,
okay listen.
- Who is more comfortable being shirtless on set?
Who is more apt to just walk around half-naked?
(mumbled arguing)
- Probably me, - Probably him, yeah.
- I don't really like clothes like that anyway,
so I was like, any chance I get is like whatever.
- It's definitely him.
- You shot the next couple Avengers films.
Is there just a scene with like,
a dozen Avengers shirtless in a sauna?
Just comparing notes? - Comparing what?
- You know what,
not yet, but I'm gonna pitch that scene.
- It's not a bad idea.
I mean, not that we need more butts in the seats,
but you might get a few more.
(laughing)
- Fans will like that one, I'm sure.
(laughing)
- You alluded to this a little bit before.
What's gotten you emotional in the process?
Is it seeing the kids kind of like,
grab on to this character,
and classes kind of rally and raise money to see the movie?
What's been the high point emotionally for you?
- It's a lot,
I mean I just saw like a group of little Black Panthers
you know earlier today.
And yeah, it's touching.
Really, seeing people walk out of the movie crying.
Or crying at various parts of the movie.
- Just talking about Michael though.
He just, he's an emotional guy.
- Yeah, no.
I'm not talking about him. - Me?
I am an emotional guy, but hey.
(laughing)
- I'm just talking about like, family members, friends.
And I don't wanna give anything away,
in terms of, because I want people to feel
whatever they feel.
- [Josh] Sure.
- But people have had really really emotional
responses to that,
and when it's a Marvel movie and it's that,
it says something.
- You told me when we spoke a couple months back,
'cause you obviously were a part of this,
you got in this role before even Coogler got on board,
and you were thinking about it long and hard,
and you had some notes, and you were saying
that some had made it through the process.
I think were alluding to maybe a specific scene, even.
That was in your initial, kind of journals.
Do you you remember what it?
- I mean it's more than that.
I was saying, the key thing for me is,
I didn't like the fact that my father died.
It's a (laughs) it's a war.
I was like, you know, - Robs you a bit of drama,
a little, an arc for that character, yeah.
- No, and I'm not saying that like,
they were wrong.
It was just hard to let go of my father.
- Gotcha. - It's like,
I come in, I have this character, I have this franchise,
you have John Kani who is a great actor.
And then you take him away the first scene.
So,
one of the key
things for me was to make sure that there was an ancestry.
That there was a way to actually talk to him.
- [Josh] Got it.
- In the present.
So that's one of the things that
I felt was important,
that he's in this movie in some sort of way.
- Michael, according to my research,
you have been in superhero films before.
- Yeah, that's a fact.
- Is that correct?
- That's cool.
- [Josh] That's hard to remember.
- Did the job get get that on the card right there?
- Yeah, they wrote it for me,
I don't even know. - Cool.
- Um, no but was there a big debate
in all earnestness, about sort of like,
taking this on so relatively soon after
the Fantastic Four experience?
Obviously apples and oranges, a much different experience,
and I assume again Ryan Coogler's the reason to do it.
But was there significant kind of trepidation
given that you'd been in this kind of universe so recently?
- Um, zero hesitation.
It wasn't even, I didn't even really think about it.
As soon as he gave me the call,
I was like alright cool, let's go.
Let's get into it.
One, because I love the space.
I love Marvel, I love the characters
and kind of like that world.
So to get another chance at it, for sure.
'Cause I had big hopes and dreams,
you know what I'm saying?
I had aspirations, you know what I'm saying?
The first time around, so,
especially with this one,
to be a part of this project, to work with Chad,
you know something I've always wanted to do.
Actors, a lot of times,
like yeah we'll work together one day,
yeah let's do it one day.
And it never happens.
So to get a chance to do it on this scale
you know what I'm saying,
you get two black strong male leads
going back and forth toe-to-toe.
That was really appealing,
and then you know,
to play an antagonist,
a character that I've never played before
it was something different.
And then of course working with Ryan, so.
- I mean Ryan's trajectory in his career is amazing,
and you obviously know that more than anybody.
How close are you to directing a project?
- I'm pretty far off.
I identify one, this book that I'm really excited about,
just going through the process of fleshing out the draft,
making sure the script's right.
And then timing, something that's really important.
Knowing how much Ryan puts in of himself into a project
before he actually goes to shoot it.
And knowing my schedule, work wise,
I just wanna make sure I'm giving myself
the best opportunity to do a really good job
my first time out, so. - Yeah.
- Just trying to take my time and get it done right.
- Have you picked his, Ryan Coogler's brain at all,
or what do you think you'll take
from your experiences with him
to your first directing effort?
- Yeah, I mean honestly,
he's the reason why I have the
self-confidence to go out there and do it,
to be perfectly honest.
Just like representation is so important,
you know on-screen,
I think behind the camera also.
See, somebody my age that's taking the responsibility of
the power of a hundred and millions of dollars
this project is.
It's inspiring, it's let me know that I can do that as well.
And then he also pushed me and told me
there's never a perfect time so just like,
suck it up and just go ahead and do it.
You know what you're doing,
so just hearing that from him definitely pushed me
to wanna get behind a camera a lot quicker.
- And you raise an important point about representation.
And the Star Wars franchise,
speaking of the Disney universe,
has done a great job in front of the camera so far.
And I'm sure Kathy Kennedy's making efforts
to diversify behind the camera as well.
I'd like to see a Ryan Coogler Star Wars movie.
- Oh, man. - What do you guys think?
- I mean, I'd like to see Ryan Coogler anything movie.
- I said the same thing to him.
(laughing)
- What? - Yeah.
- What did he say?
(laughing)
- Did he say, I've had that thought too?
- I don't know what he said.
(laughing)
- You need to listen to your friends more.
- I can't remember.
- [Josh] What?
- I can't remember what he said.
(laughing)
- Yeah, Ryan, anything he puts his mind to honestly,
I can't imagine it not being amazing.
He brings a lot of heart grounded natures to it,
and fleshes out characters,
and he's a savant with storytelling.
I mean, you throw him in any genre
for like, you know, he'll kill.
- Last couple quick things.
We were talking, you're in Creed mode.
You're moving on from this into the Creed sequel.
You know I was such a fan of Creed.
Talk to me about the challenges of this one,
we know there are echoes of Ivan Drago, Rocky IV.
In this one, is it gonna feel connected to that film
in a significant way?
I mean, we're obviously,
that was a film very much of its time of the '80s.
(laughing)
Uh oh, what do we got?
- Nah, nah, nah, nothing.
Just the process of, no obviously,
you know Ryan's
Creed one was something so special
to create an origin story and a spinoff
from the world of Rocky,
was a challenge all its own.
But he pulled it off in a big way.
Just trying to figure out
where those characters would be now.
How do you, you take Adonis and his family,
with Rocky and Bianca,
and try to move them forward in a realistic way,
an interesting way.
Not gonna.
(laughing)
- That's good.
- Go, go, there it is.
That's it, that's it, that's it.
That's right, yeah. - We were just getting
to the good stuff.
- Yeah so uh, yeah.
It's going good, I'm looking forward to
getting back in there. - Leave 'em waiting.
Leave 'em waiting.
- Wanting more?
- My man, my man.
- Let's see if you do as well as this.
You've wrapped, I assume, on your Avengers madness by now.
I mean, there's a lot of characters to serve in that.
Do you feel like you've got something to chew on?
Is there even like a mini arc
for T'Challa through those films?
These next two Avengers films?
- Sure.
- Oh, God.
(laughing)
- I know you're a smart guy,
you have more to say than sure in your brain.
- No he's, now he's like. - He's baiting.
- Get him, get him! - You're a smart guy.
You're a smart guy, that's why I said sure.
(laughing)
- Fair enough, fair enough.
Honestly, congratulations guys.
This film works on just so many levels.
It's a fun movie, it's a great movie.
It's a great ride.
And it also happens to be something that
can maybe change our culture for the better.
And that's pretty good.
So thanks for stopping by, guys.
- Thanks Josh. - Always good to see you.
- Appreciate it, man.
Yup.

'Black Panther's Michael B. Jordan & Chadwick Boseman on Cultural Impact & Identity | MTV News