Black Panther's M'Baku: What Only True MCU Fans Know About The Character

The arrival of "Black Panther" in 2018 changed audiences' perspective on a somewhat underappreciated comic book character. Chadwick Boseman's performance in the title role turned the long-time Avenger into one of Marvel's most beloved and recognizable icons. Along the way, multiple supporting characters obtained wider admiration, including Killmonger, Shuri, and Okoye. But one of the biggest surprises to come out of the isolated world of Wakanda was M'Baku, the leader of King T'Challa's rival tribe, the Jabari clan. The grizzled warrior transcended his role of opposition to become one of Black Panther's strongest allies for the fights ahead, including the Battle of Earth in "Avengers: Endgame."

M'Baku, like many of his castmates, is a character pulled directly from the comic pages into the live-action universe. Surprisingly, the man who originally challenged T'Challa for the Wakandan throne has a storied past with Black Panther that stretches back decades in the published canon. However, M'Baku underwent some significant changes for his arrival in the MCU, and becoming a fan-favorite character has made his screen portrayal more complicated. Let's explore all the details of T'Challa's brotherly rival that fans already know and appreciate.

It is near-impossible to discuss M'Baku without bringing up the Jabari tribe. As the offshoot clan's leader, M'Baku represents the Jabari's differing ideals and beliefs from the dominant Panther Tribe that reigns over Wakanda. The history of Man-Ape and the Jabari tribe are fundamentally tied, and each gives context to the other. To understand M'Baku's combative and rebellious nature, a brief exploration of the literary background of the Jabari people is essential.

Creating a bond with the gorillas that naturally inhabit their territory in the forested mountains of Wakanda, the Jabari start out as a relatively minor tribe who worship the White Gorilla deity in the same way that T'Challa's family follows the Panther. Aside from differing religious beliefs, the Jabari grow to despise Wakanda's use of technology and reliance on the rest of the world, opting instead to remain faithful to more traditional practices. When T'Challa becomes king of Wakanda following the passing of his father, T'Chaka, Jabari leaders start formulating a plot to overthrow him and install themselves as Wakanda's new rulers. But they are unable to defeat T'Challa, who neutralizes the tribe by banishing its members to different parts of the country.

A natural antagonist who's enhanced with unnatural powers, Man-Ape became a regular inclusion on supervillain teams looking for an extra bit of muscle. Soon after his first interaction with Black Panther, M'Baku joins forces with the Lethal Legion in another attack on the Avengers. Assisted by Grim Reaper, Living Laser, Power Man, and the Swordsman, Man-Ape successfully kidnaps Black Panther once again, before being defeated by the remaining Avengers. Failing his second attempt at taking over the Wakandan throne, M'Baku is forcibly exiled from his home country.

Disgraced and homeless, Man-Ape spends his next years touring the world and taking on mercenary gigs. Most notably, he is enlisted in another incarnation of the Lethal Legion, before being temporarily hired by the Masters of Evil. Man-Ape continues after that to lend his primal strength to anyone with a sinister plan, including the short-lived Villains for Hire. Eventually landing in prison, the Wakandan villain finds himself involved in the Pleasant Hill prison outbreak. Free once more, M'Baku makes his way back into Black Panther's good graces by warning the country of a potential threat. He has since become an ally of the throne — though, like his live-action counterpart, he remains the leader of an opposing tribe.

The rivalry between Black Panther and Man-Ape expands across the Marvel multiverse. However, in one particular alternate reality, the character's connection goes beyond a physical match-up and gives them a familial bond. Marvel's Ultimate Universe, orchestrated by legendary comic writer Brian Michael Bendis, was launched in 2000 and is credited as saving the publishing company from financial ruin. Kicking off with "Ultimate Spider-Man," this alternate universe reimagined Marvel's iconic characters for a modern generation, giving many characters new origins and backstories. Notably, the Ultimate Universe gave birth to fan-favorite heroes like Miles Morales, while many of the stories have been adapted for the MCU.

More relevantly, Black Panther received a significant revamp for the Ultimate timeline. Chronologically, Wakanda's royal son first appeared in "Ultimate Captain America Annual" #1, where he challenges the "Trial of the Panther" in hopes of becoming the nation's new champion. Tested with hunting a wild panther, T'Challa almost loses his life to the beast before being rescued by his older brother M'Baku, who believes he would fare better at the challenge. Unfortunately, T'Challa is so badly injured that his father is forced to send him to America for life-saving surgery at SHIELD's Weapon X program. Meanwhile, M'Baku is disgruntled enough with not being chosen to take the trials and his father's reliance on SHIELD's help that he abandons Wakanda, later returning to challenge for the throne.

While unintentional by his creators, the basis of M'Baku's appearance and superpowers are clearly controversial. The moniker of Man-Ape alone presents many contentious issues, never mind an outfit that dresses the tribal leader as a giant gorilla. But M'Baku is one of Black Panther's oldest and most famous antagonists from comic book lore, so instead of abandoning the powerful rival because of his problematic design, Marvel Studios opted to give M'Baku a revamped style for the 2018 "Black Panther" film and subsequent appearances.

"We don't call him Man-Ape. We do call him M'Baku," stated executive producer Nate Moore in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. "Having a black character dress up as an ape, I think there's a lot of racial implications that don't sit well," said Moore of the self-evident issue. "But the idea that they worship the gorilla gods is interesting." Taking inspiration from the Christopher Priest run on "Black Panther," M'Baku is represented as the leader of a rival Wakandan clan. "M'Baku is essentially the head of the religious minority," said Moore. "Wakanda is not a monolithic place. They have a lot of different factions."

The film version of M'Baku was introduced as a villain, challenging Chadwick Boseman's T'Challa for the throne of Wakanda. While the antagonist origin is more in tune with the comic book version, M'Baku soon joins his enemy's side in fighting Killmonger's coup, and later, the attacks by the legions of Thanos in "Avengers: Infinity War" and "Avengers: Endgame." However, before Chadwick Boseman passed away, which changed the trajectory of the "Black Panther" sequel's plot, there were discussions over who should be the next villain. Winston Duke, who portrays M'Baku, revealed that he wanted to be the Panther's next big-screen antagonist.

"[M'Baku] is a hero," said Duke in a 2020 interview with Screenrant, "But he has so much going on. I think what makes a really great villain is that they have the power of seeing things their own way, and they can define their own circumstances." The actor goes on to point out two of the MCU's most complex villains, Loki and Thanos, and how their unique visions of justice shaped them into memorable antagonists. Unfortunately, audiences will not get the chance to witness a second round between Chadwick Boseman's Black Panther and M'Baku. But the Jabari tribe's beliefs could see them take another stab at the throne, with T'Challa's passing becoming a central plot point of "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever."

"How do I start to honor a man who I saw as a giant in many ways; with whom I thought I had so much more time," begins an Instagram post from Winston Duke, after learning that his good friend and co-star Chadwick Boseman had passed away at the age of 43. The man who brought Black Panther to life in the MCU was an inspiration for Duke: "Chadwick was a lightning rod for me," he wrote. "He gave me direction. When I saw '42,' I said, 'I could be this guy.'" More than a muse, Boseman was a leader and a teacher for Duke, along with the rest of the "Black Panther" cast. "He created a space for all of us to feel safe, open, and bold," said Duke, expressing his deep gratitude for Chadwick's guidance and calm confidence.

Much of what inspired "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" is based around the cast and crew's grief and mourning for their leading man. Duke and the cast have paid tribute to Boseman on and off screen. "I knew I belonged because I could see myself in you," read Duke's touching words. "That's what heroes do. They seem familiar because they make it possible for us to see our potential best selves demonstrated through them." Rivals on film, friends in real life, Duke's words of mourning add weight to one of Hollywood's most tragic losses while giving audiences an insight into the camaraderie of these two performers.