William Jackson Harper is headed to Wakanda. The Emmy-nominated actor will narrate the audiobook series Marvel’s Black Panther: Sins of the King, which is due out in January from Serial Box.
Sins of the King sees T’Challa’s rule threatened by his father’s unintended resurrection. The story, described as an adventure thriller, follows Black Panther as he faces the mistakes of the past, as well as dark forces seeking revenge on Wakanda. Characters who appear in the miniseries include favorites from the 2018 Black Panther film such as Okoye and Shuri, as well as Marvel mainstays Misty Knight and War Machine. There are also new characters, including a villain who can resurrect the dead.
“I’ve long been a fan of sci-fi, but there’s always been a dearth of Black characters in those worlds, especially when brought to the screen,” Harper said in a statement. “I remember seeing Black Panther in the theater and just being giddy about how many kids like me will have this be one of their first and formative sci-fi experiences, and how open they will be to seeing all kinds of people inhabiting these worlds as they grow older, which is why I am thrilled to be a part of this project.”
Sins of the King‘s writing team is led by Ira Madison III and also includes Tananarive Due, Steven Barnes, Geoffrey Thorne and Mohale Mashigo.
“Sci-fi and fantasy have long explored the relationship between sons and fathers, but I thought an all-Black writing team would be uniquely equipped to tell a powerful story about Black sons and fathers, one that normally goes untold in the world of superhero stories,” said Madison in a statement. “It’s such an honor to bring T’Challa to life in a new story for fans of Black Panther, including myself, who never imagined while reading Avengers and Fantastic Four comics as a kid I’d get to come up with stories for the Black Panther himself.”
Harper is best known for his role as ethics professor Chidi Anagonye on NBC’s The Good Place, for which he is nominated for an supporting comedy actor Emmy this year. He also appeared in 2019’s Midsommar, and has Barry Jenkins’ The Underground Railroad series due out on Amazon next year.
Marvel’s Black Panther: Sins of the King is Serial Box’s fourth Marvel project, following series focusing on Black Widow, Jessica Jones and Thor.
