John Boyega not joining Black Panther

John Boyega has shut down rumors he is joining the star-studded cast of superhero film Black Panther.

The breakout star of the latest installment of the Star Wars franchise first sparked speculation he was in talks to join the ever-growing cast of Marvel’s upcoming movie earlier this week (16May16) after posting a photo from a Los Angeles office building on Snapchat with the caption, "meeting".

Shortly after, Boyega and the president of Marvel Studios, Kevin Feige, started following each other on Twitter, leading film fans to suggest the business meeting had to do with Black Panther.

But a representative for Boyega played down the reports on Thursday (19May16) in a statement to Complex Magazine which simply reads: "Talks are false."

However, Boyega's possible involvement is no surprise, as he has long been campaigning for a role in the big screen version of the Black Panther comic book, which centers on the superhero alter ego of T’Challa, the king of the fictional African nation of Wakanda.

In 2014, Boyega tweeted, "Marvel role? ....hehehe ... I'm dam (sic) right aiming for it... Currently booking flight to wakanda"

Meanwhile, the 24-year-old is currently filming the next installment of the Star Wars franchise, while Chadwick Boseman, who has been cast as the titular Black Panther, is gearing up to start production on his movie.

The Black Panther film will also feature Lupita Nyong'o and Michael B. Jordan, who will reteam with his Creed director Ryan Coogler on the project.