Not so long ago, Marvel Studios was developing a live-action Inhumans movie with a July 12, 2019 release date. At that time, Vin Diesel was lobbying for the lead role of Black Bolt. However, the studio later removed the movie from the Marvel Cinematic Universe timeline. They eventually announced an eight-episode live-action ABC series based on the superhuman race.
That’s when it became almost a certainty that we wouldn't see Diesel as the king of the Inhumans. According to Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn, the only way the actor could end up playing the part would be for him to "take a huge pay cut"!
But if you were still holding out hope, the bad news is that Marvel has officially announced an actor for the part of Black Bolt, and it's not Vin Diesel. Rather, Anson Mount, who played Cullen Bohannon in the AMC period drama Hell on Wheels, will portray the character.
In a statement, Marvel Television boss Jeph Loeb said:
Anson loves the challenge of playing a character who will only communicate silently. His enthusiasm mixed with his imposing, almost regal, persona made it easy to see why he is our Black Bolt.
Showrunner Scott Buck added:
Black Bolt is a character whose deep complexity must be conveyed without uttering a single word, and I'm very excited to have Anson on board to bring him to life.
Of course, Anson Mount has the potential to pull off a character who doesn’t utter a single word. Apart from Hell on Wheels, the 44-year-old actor has appeared in big-screen ventures Tully and Non-Stop; television movies The Two Mr. Kissels and Seal Team Six: The Raid on Osama Bin Laden; and television series LOST and Conviction.
Mount is the second Inhumans cast member to be officially announced. Around a week ago, Game of Thrones star Iwan Rheon joined the cast of the upcoming ABC series as Maximus the Mad.
