With the hoax about Funke Akindele and Genevieve Nnaji appearing in Avenger: Infinity War behind us, Nigerians can now look forward to one of their own, Sope Aluko, appearing in a Marvel Studios movie.
Unlike Funke and Genevieve who kept mum when the fake news that they had been cast as Dora Milaje went viral, Aluko has expressed her excitement about staring in one of 2018’s most anticipated movies, Black Panther.
“For so long, I have seen Hollywood depict Africa in a way it shouldn’t be depicted.
“(But in Black Panther) we are talking about a fictitious country that has a mineral resource that is sought after by westerners.
“A rich country full of Kings and queens, these were all the elements of Africa that we don’t normally have in the narrative out there that we have in the script.
“So, it was not only me but all the cast and crew excited to be part of it. We were like we are getting something and we wanted to make sure we honoured it correctly,” she said in an interview on Channels TV’s Sunrise.
Black Panther, which is expected to release in Nigeria on February 16, 2018, boasts of a 90% black cast.
Sope plays the role of Shaman, a powerful primal leader who calls upon nature spirits for aid or guidance.
Married with two teenage boys, Sope was born in Nigeria but primarily raised in the UK.
She started out with an undergraduate degree in engineering and a master’s degree in marketing.
While in the UK, Sope attended drama classes at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts (LAMDA) and extended her study into dance.
After a very successful career in the corporate space, the multi-linguist with proficiency in four languages returned to acting and performing. Since then, she has played recurring roles on Netflix’s Bloodline, NBC’s Law & Order SVU, with guest appearances on USA Network’s Burn Notice, Graceland Lifetime’s Army Wives, amongst others.
Her film credits include supporting roles in Identity Thief, Pitch Perfect 2, 96 Minutes and Grass Stains,
Black Panther also stars Chadwick Boseman, Lupita Nyong’o, Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker and Michael B. Jordan.
Sope is currently filming another Marvel film set for release in late 2018 and looks forward to working in Nollywood.
