Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o may star in Marvel’s Black Panther

Movie audiences got their first introduction to Marvel’s Black Panther this month in Captain America: Civil War, and the character’s standalone film may be getting a high-profile addition to its cast: Lupita Nyong’o. Both The Hollywood Reporter and Variety are reporting that the actor is in talks with Marvel about joining the cast of the film, which will star Chadwick Boseman in the title role, and is being directed and co-written by Ryan Coogler (Creed, Fruitvale Station).

While there are no firm details about which character she would be playing, according to the reports she will be the love interest of T’Challa, the prince of Wakanda that Boseman portrayed in Civil War. Nyong’o has become a go-to favorite for Disney after winning an Oscar for her performance in 12 Years a Slave, appearing in Star Wars: The Force Awakens as the motion-capture character Maz Kanata, as the voice of the wolf Raksha in The Jungle Book, and she will also be starring in the studio’s film The Queen of Katwe later this year. While her casting is certainly not set — and judging from the way conversations went with Coogler, it could be months before the deal is finalized — there is plenty of time to put the pieces together, as shooting is not scheduled to begin until next year.