Marvel Studios/ESPN
One of the beauties of social media is its unpredictability, as there’s no telling what could go viral at any moment. This week, it’s memes imagining Hall of Fame wide receiver Michael Irvin as the Black Panther.
After a suggestion from X, formerly Twitter, user @TheMSeries1 that “Marvel should cast Michael Irvin as Black Panther,” the internet took the idea and ran with it to produce some truly hilarious memes.
Black Panther / T’Challa was originally played by the late Chadwick Boseman, who tragically passed away after a battle with cancer at the age of 43 years old in 2020.
NOBODY’S COMING INTO MY HOUSE, MY KINGDOM! https://t.co/NY1ZXT5VVV pic.twitter.com/3QwI0IXfMH
— Trash Bandicoot (@Mad_Dad2020) January 8, 2025
T’Challa taking the heart shaped herb: https://t.co/D2GmtpDIA3 pic.twitter.com/RHtgIyn4fI
— TisaHonduran (@CLONEKID_) January 8, 2025
Given Irvin’s famed penchant for intense behavior, the jokes practically write themselves.
T’Challa when female Wakandans stop signing up to become part of the Dora Milaje https://t.co/Qx9nkSrU49 pic.twitter.com/rUQuioP8Yl
— Jay 🪐🇨🇩 (@J_Onaka) January 8, 2025
When the Vibranium in Wakanda starts running low https://t.co/CZIAerTaZb pic.twitter.com/Irjkod71XN
— The Liberated One (@TheDuragGeneral) January 8, 2025
Despite Boseman’s untimely death, Marvel Studios moved forward with the sequel, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which released in 2022. The film integrated the death of T’Challa into the story on focused on Shuri, the character’s sister, played by Letitia Wright.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever also starred Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Winston Duke, Florence Kasumba, Dominique Thorne, Michaela Coel, Mabel Cadena, Tenoch Huerta Mejía, Martin Freeman, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Angela Bassett.
At this time, a third Black Panther film is in the works from franchise director Ryan Coogler, with legendary actor Denzel Washington even saying that the filmmaker is writing a part for him in the movie.
“For me it’s about the filmmakers. Especially at this point in my career, I am only interested in working with the best. I don’t know how many more films I’m going to make. It’s probably not that many. I want to do things I haven’t done,” Washington said while promoting Gladiator 2.
“I played Othello at 22. I am about to play Othello at 70. After that, I am playing Hannibal. After that, I’ve been talking to Steve McQueen about a film. After that, Ryan Coogler is writing a part for me in the next Black Panther. After that, I’m going to do the film Othello. After that, I’m going to do King Lear. After that, I’m going to retire.”
Both Black Panther and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever are now streaming on Disney+.