Winston Duke has confirmed that one of the most memorable insults in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Black Panther was entirely improvised. The line, "You bald-headed demon," delivered by Duke's character M'Baku to Danai Gurira's Okoye, was a spontaneous addition during filming.
Speaking at San Diego Comic-Con 2026, Duke explained that the line stemmed from his approach to playing M'Baku, a character he described as "very free, who is very honest and true to his attachments and his culture." He drew inspiration from Nigerian Igbo culture for the improvisation. "I just felt like that's something someone of that tradition would do and say in that moment," Duke stated, noting that the scene, characterized as a "family squabble," could support such an interjection. Director Ryan Coogler allowed him to keep the line in the final cut.
Beyond the improvisation, Duke also discussed the upcoming Black Panther III, slated for release on December 15, 2028. He shared his thoughts on David Jonsson being cast as the next Black Panther. "I had a very similar reaction to the audience," Duke said of meeting Jonsson for the first time. He expressed a desire to extend the same welcoming support that he received when he first joined the franchise, which was his debut film. "Black Panther was my very first movie, I was welcomed into a cohort of people who just wanted to make something great," he recalled. "It was a safe space to be daring, a safe space to try things, and a safe place to add my personal interpretation." Duke added, "I told him, 'We all just want you to win and we can't wait to work with you.'"
The actor also touched on his potential involvement in Avengers: Doomsday, which is scheduled to be released in December. The San Diego Comic-Con panel also revealed a new Ghost Rider movie, with Ryan Gosling set to star as the titular character. This news comes alongside the upcoming release of Spider-Man: Brand New Day later this month, indicating a busy period for the MCU.