The second Chadwick Boseman’s character — Prince T’Challa, aka Black Panther — leapt into action two years ago in “Captain America: Civil War,” Marvel fan Kira Coelho was excited.
“He’s the coolest cat, literally speaking,” said Coelho, a Salt Lake City after-school education consultant who cosplays under the name Kiki Furia.
Since that appearance of Marvel Comics’ distinctly African superhero, Coelho and other “blerds” — “black nerds,” as she says — in Utah and elsewhere have been anticipating the day when T’Challa got to headline his own movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
“As a kid, you want to find someone who looks like you,” said Jay Whitaker, a Salt Lake City stand-up comic and actor, and a contributor to the popular Geek Show Podcast.