‘Black Panther’ Director Changes ‘Man-Ape’ Character Name To ‘M’Baku’

The director of Marvel’s upcoming ‘Black Panther’ film has explained how he’s reinventing the comic book character Man-Ape as M’Baku.

Ryan Coogler is at the helm of the film, and has explained that he knew from the beginning of production that “racial implications” meant the character would need to be updated.

Human-animal hybrid Man-Ape first appeared in the Marvel comics in 1969 as a frequent enemy to the Black Panther.

Speaking about modernising the character, Ryan told 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, if done wrong.

“But the idea that they worship the gorilla gods is interesting because it’s a movie about the Black Panther who, himself, is a sort of deity in his own right.”

Winston Duke is taking on the role in the hotly-anticipated film, while Chadwick Boseman plays the title character.

The movie will also star Michael B. Jordan, Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o and ‘Get Out’ star Daniel Kaluuya and Entertainment Weekly have also revealed exclusive portraits of a number of the characters.