After nearly five years and the unexpected, tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman, the long-awaited Black Panther sequel, Wakanda Forever, is finally here.
With a fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, critics and fans are loving director Ryan Coogler’s return to the fictional country as it grapples with very real loss, all while delivering the blockbuster action spectacle that Marvel fans have come to expect. It also expertly balances a sprawling ensemble, with plenty of friends and foes, new and old.
Related: ‘Black Panther’ actor exposed as gay adult film star
But one face (and, okay, two thighs) we’re especially excited to see on the big screen again belongs to Winston Duke. In the MCU, the actor plays M’baku, the cutthroat leader of the Jabari mountain tribe, who forges an uneasy alliance with the Wakandans—and, by extension, the Avengers. M’baku first appeared in Black Panther and became an instant fan favorite, popping up as support in the ensuing Avengers movies, Infinity War and End Game.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
With M’baku’s return in Wakanda Forever, we just need to take a moment to appreciate the beauty that is Winston Duke. Whether he’s in a red carpet-ready look or just posting a workout selfie on Instagram, the man always delivers the goods.
Exhibit A:
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Exhibit B:
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Of course, he looks amazing in costume, too. There’s something about the way M’Baku’s outfit (designed by the legendary, Oscar-winning Ruth E. Carter) hugs every curve of his muscular, 6’4″-tall frame…. Sorry, sorry—we got carried away.
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And the multiplex isn’t even the only place you can catch Duke this weekend! He’s also one of the featured models in Rihanna’s Savage x Fenty, Vol. 4 fashion show—which just dropped on Amazon Prime Video—looking amazing in some crushed velvet shorts.
We’re admittedly not thrilled about the entire lineup RiRi has put together this year, but Duke looks right at home on the Fenty runway, especially next to some of the other icons like Sheryl Lee Ralph, Rickey Thompson, and Kornbread “The Snack” Jeté.
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winston duke for savage x fenty is all i've ever wanted pic.twitter.com/5jlahOaM4m
— internet baby (@kirkpate) November 3, 2022
One of our favorite things about Winston Duke is that he’s pretty receptive to all the thirst. While doing the press rounds for Jordan Peele’s Us (in which he plays both sweet daddy Gabe and scary daddy Abraham), the actor stopped by Buzzfeed’s offices for a round of thirst tweet reading.
Sure, he admits up front that “this was someone else’s idea,” but, come on, he had to be at least a little flattered, right? He sure seems delighted by one fan’s comment: “Winston Duke isn’t even a snack he is a four course meal and a dinner mint.”
Even though Duke is all over the place right now, traveling the globe to promote Wakanda Forever, he doesn’t have another project due out ’til 2024, according to IMDB, so we’re just trying to savor this moment while it lasts. (That project, by the way, is action movie The Fall Guy, which also stars Ryan Gosling, Aaron Taylor Johnson, and Stephanie Hsu—so there’s plenty to look forward to there.)
So, do yourself a favor and take a second to bask in the sexiness that is Winston Duke. We’re going to go ahead and drop a few more of our favorite photos and thirsty tweets below, just for you.
Remember when Winston Duke just posted this and we were all expected to go about our lives as if nothing had happened? pic.twitter.com/wJXmsJQQ1u
— Olivia Truffaut-Wong (@iWatchiAm) November 3, 2022
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not when winston duke exists sorry https://t.co/XaiOaiGqqT pic.twitter.com/qIEbm4GpJb
— cephalopod fan (@kiwamihollie) November 8, 2022
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Only want to watch the new Black Panther movie so I can drool every time @Winston_Duke appears on the screen. ?
— plant-based papi (@AlexYEAAAH) November 6, 2022
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WINSTON DUKE THE MAN THAT YOU ARE pic.twitter.com/yXx6veBNDT
— carú (@caoscaru) November 8, 2022
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Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is now playing in theaters everywhere.
SDR94103
UH, NO.
BEARY FLINTSTONE
Girl Bye why even comment LOL
jt1990
That’s it! I’m traveling to Hollywood to write a movie that will inspire some White pride that’s been missing for about a century. Jane Goodalls kids have used this oppression nonsense to steal the spotlight and remind Whites how terrible we are. Anyway rant over , continue drooling ladies and trans-gents
Kangol2
And of course Queerty’s resident White supremacist troglodyte jt1990 had to show up to make a racist comment! Your abyss is calling you, crawl back in!
linedrive
@jt…: Yikes. Back on the meds, buddy.
Seth
Yes, please and thank you!
linedrive
That manspread with the short shorts…have mercy! Great body and lovely smile. Definitely crushworthy.
judysdad
Here’s a deal for ya: How about YOU crush on him? Yuck!
Kangol2
Definitely crush-worthy but I have to say, Queerty, for the usual commenters here, right guy, wrong venue!
ShaunNJ
I am a huge fan. Tall, dark and handsome, MFA from Yale School of Drama (as are co-stars Angela Bassett and Lupita N’yongo) and a genuinely nice guy. Look forward to seeing him in more roles. Thank you for featuring him!