Black Panther’s Weirdest Enemy Will Never Be In The MCU

There’s a lot of speculation about the villain of the next Black Panther movie, but audiences can be sure they probably won’t see the oddball comics character Achebe or his hand puppet sidekick in the MCU. The first Black Panther movie received rave reviews for Michael B. Jordan’s performance as the supervillain Erik Killmonger, who presented a radical alternate viewpoint to T’Challa’s isolationist philosophy. Given the incredible impact Black Panther had on audiences around the world, Marvel is likely to cast a villain who can similarly connect with viewers on a serious level.

Following the death of Black Panther actor Chadwick Boseman, there is a lot of interest in the sequel and how it will tackle the loss of its star. Director Ryan Coogler and several main cast members from the first film will return, and Marvel has confirmed it will not recast T’Challa. The film is expected to start filming next year and hit theaters in July 2022. Not much is known about the story or who the villain will be, but some think the sequel could be used to introduce powerhouse characters like Doctor Doom or Namor the Submariner.

With all eyes on this film, it is unlikely Marvel will resort to using a character as strange as Achebe as its main villain. Created in 1999 by Christopher Priest and Mark Texeira, Achebe was pitched as Black Panther’s version of the Joker. He shares many traits with the Clown Prince of Crime, including an anarchist nature, propensity for explosions, and certified insanity. As he schemes to defeat Black Panther and install himself as the King of Wakanda, Achebe can often be seen talking to a hand puppet named Daki. He imagines the puppet talking back to him too, whether it’s encouraging him to kill people or arguing with his plans.

Not much is known about Achebe’s background, but it is believed he was once a farmer named Bob who lived in the African country of Ghudaza. When rebel guerrillas from the neighboring country of Ujanka came to his farm, Bob’s wife fell in love with their leader. The guerrillas took her with them, destroying Bob’s farm and stabbing him several times. This drove him insane, and he made a deal with the demon Mephisto to track down and kill the people who left him for dead.

Despite his insanity and propensity for shocking violence, Achebe is still a fiercely intelligent villain who has sought to destabilize Wakanda and the surrounding African nations. He instigates wars in the region and started an uprising in a refugee camp in an effort to overthrow T’Challa. He does manage to take control of Wakanda, but slips further into insanity and turns weapons on the civilian population. He is eventually stopped and flees Wakanda.

Achebe would certainly make a very entertaining character to watch in an MCU movie, and one can imagine a number of actors who could bring his insanity to life. But the Black Panther sequel will likely seek a more serious villain, and Achebe is just too silly to fit that bill.  There may be some Easter Eggs or brief references to this wacky baddie, but don’t expect to see him take center stage anytime soon.