Idris Elba
Idris Elba will be starring in the soon to be released film Thor. Elba will be playing Heimdall, the all-hearing and all-seeing guardian of the rainbow bridge to defend attacks on the world of Asgard. Thor will be in theaters May 6th.
(Photo by Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for Vanity Fair)
Mike Tyson
Mike Tyson will be making another appearance as himself in the highly anticipated summer film The Hangover 2. This next post-drinking adventure will hit theaters May 26th.
(Photo by Gary Miller/FilmMagic)
Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer
Academy Award nominated actress Viola Davis will be lending her talents to star in The Help. Davis will play the role of a southern maid, Aibileen Clark who develops an unlikely friendship with a young white southern author seeking to reveal the destructive racist mindset of a small southern town. Octavia Spencer will star alongside Viola Davis as the fast-talking, no-nonsense maid Minny Jackson. The Help can be seen in theaters August 12th.
(Eric Charbonneau/Getty Images)
Maya Rudolph
Saturday Night Live alumni Maya Rudolph will take on a lead role in the upcoming comedy film Bridesmaids. Rudolph will play the character of the bride, struggling to find peace amongst her group of feuding and competing bridesmaids.
(Photo by Duffy-Marie Arnoult/WireImage)
Derek Luke
Derek Luke will be taking on the character Gabe Jones in the upcoming summer film Captain America:The First Avenger. Luke’s character is the first African American to serve in the fictional Elite Howling Commando’s combat squad of World War II. Captain America:The First Avenger will arrive in theaters July 22nd.
(Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)
Zoe Kravitz
Zoe Kravitz will be starring in X-Men: First Class, playing Angel Salvadore, the character known for her mutant nature of sprouting wings. Fans of Kravitz can see the actress in when the film hits
(Photo by Gary Gershoff/WireImage)
Samuel L. Jackson
The actor widely known for his villainous bad guy roles at the box office will be making and appearances in both Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger. Jackson will be playing the role of fictional World War II army hero Nick Fury in both films.
(Photo by Bobby Bank/WireImage)
Cicely Tyson
Screen Legend Cicely Tyson will have a feature role in The Help. Tyson will be playing along side Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer as the maid Constantine in the racist southern town.
(Photo by Michael Stewart/WireImage)
Terry Crews
Comedic actor Terry Crews will be starring in the upcoming film Bridesmaids. Crews will play the role of a boot camp Instructor. The film about an oddball group of bridesmaids hits theaters May 13th.
(Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for NAACP Image Awards)
Edi Gathegi
Edie Gathegi will star in the latest X-men movie playing the character Darwin nicknamed for his mutant ability to evolve and adapt in any situation. X-Men: First Class can be seen in theaters June 3rd.
(Photo by David Livingston/Getty Images)
Angela Bassett
Angela Bassett will be starring in the upcoming summer blockbuster film adaptation of DC Comic book film Green Lantern. Bassett will play the character Amanda Waller, who heads up Task Force X, monitoring the behaviors of superheroes. Green Lantern is set to hit theaters on June 17th.
(Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Michael Clarke Duncan
The actor known for his larger than life character in The Green Mile will be lending his talents to the character Kilowog in Green Lantern. Duncan’s character is a superhero known for carrying the most powerful weapon in the universe, a green lantern ring.
(Photo by Jordan Strauss/WireImage)
Keenan Thompson
The 1980’s Saturday morning cartoon The Smurfs will be coming to theaters this summer with a 3-D film set to be released July 29th. Keenan Thompson will be voicing the character “Greedy Smurf.”
(Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images)
Glynn Thurman
This veteran character actor (A Different World, Cooley High) plays a mysterious figure in the upcoming J.J. Abrams thriller Super 8.
(Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
Summers are synonymous with big box office films, and the upcoming film season should be no exception. This summer movie-goers will be treated to the release of highly anticipated action movies like Thor, Green Lantern, Captain America: The First Avenger, X-men: First Class and more. Here is our pick of some black stars to look out for in this summer’s blockbuster films.
