Lupita Nyong'o

Lupita Nyong'o has said the idea of a self-reliant nation in Black Panther was exciting for her and drew her to the project. The "12 Years A Slave" actor, who plays the role of Nakia in the Ryan Coogler-directed superhero film, said she accepted the role without even seeing the script. "We were creating an aspirational world where the African people are in charge of their own destiny. And that really appealed to me and had the little girl inside me jumping for joy," Nyong'o told The Hollywood Reporter.