Exclusive: Keith David Discusses Canceled Marvel TV Project and Black Panther Voice Role Return

By M.C.U.N

October 11, 2024 3 Min Read

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Last weekend, legendary actor Keith David made an appearance at LA Comic Con, offering fans a meet and greet to celebrate his extensive work in film, television, and animation. We had the chance to sit down with David to discuss his canceled Marvel project, which, according to a report from CBR, would have been a sitcom where he was set to portray Marvel Comics’ M.O.D.O.K.

Reflecting on his role, which would have focused on the New Warriors according to reports, David shared, “I was the boss. But you’ll never see it see the light of day. All I can tell you is that it would’ve been fun.” Based on what David was told, his M.O.D.O.K. would have served as the “boss” for the New Warriors in the sitcom, marking a significant shift in Marvel’s TV approach.

Had the project moved forward, the sitcom style would have arrived in the Marvel Studios lineup much earlier, predating the sitcom parody format that became the driving force behind the first half of WandaVision. That unique format became a hit with fans upon its release, offering a fresh take on Marvel storytelling. It’s intriguing to imagine how this canceled New Warriors sitcom, which would have come before WandaVision, might have influenced the trajectory of Marvel Television at the time. One can only speculate on what could have been.

According to a report from CBR, “Back in 2016, the New Warriors TV show was announced by ABC and Marvel Television, with the show planned to broadcast on the former. A sitcom involving the comic book team of the same name, the characters would have included Squirrel Girl, Speedball and supposed ladies’ man Mr. Immortal. Milana Vayntrub, best known for her role as Lily in the AT&T commercials, was set to portray Squirrel Girl, and she was just one of the many recognizable actors set to appear in the series. Another was Keith David, whose presence would have become much bigger along the way.

David’s character, Ernest Vigman, was created specifically for the show as a municipal employee. Interestingly, the plan was for him to gradually evolve into the villainous M.O.D.O.K. over the course of several seasons. Although David couldn’t divulge many details, he shared that he would have been the boss on the show and expressed that it would have been a fun project to work on. Based on his comments and reports about the series, we can only imagine it would have been, at the very least, an entertaining watch.

The idea of Keith David voicing M.O.D.O.K. almost came to fruition. Beyond his involvement in this canceled series, David has made significant contributions to Marvel Television since the 1990s. While discussing the canceled project, we also asked him about a possible return to Marvel television. His response might surprise you.

When we mentioned that fans still remember his portrayal of Black Panther in the Fantastic Four animated series from the ’90s, he was pleasantly surprised, saying, “Oh wow, you know about my Black Panther… That was twenty years ago.” When we asked if he’d be interested in reprising the role, especially after Black Panther’s recent appearance in X-Men ’97, he enthusiastically replied, “The answer is yes, the short answer is very yes.”

It sounds like David is open to returning to at least one corner of Marvel Animation, and given the trend of voice actors returning to iconic roles, it wouldn’t be far-fetched. After all, the fan excitement surrounding returning voices helped propel X-Men ’97 to success for Marvel Studios.

Having Keith David rejoin the MCU, even in an unexpected way, would be a dream come true for fans. Though his chance with the canceled show didn’t pan out, we’re all rooting for him to join the MCU in any capacity. Are you ready for the return or the introduction of a new Black Panther to the MCU? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Interviewed by Nick Solis and written by Daniel Barela