Marvel’s Black Panther was an absolute phenomenon that changed the landscape for Black storytelling in Hollywood. The superhero movie made over $1 billion at the box office, a rarity for a majority Black-cast film. It also centered on King T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) and the fictional country of Wakanda.
Following the immense success of Black Panther, Marvel Studios immediately green-lit the sequel to movie. However, following the shocking death of Boseman from colon cancer, fans were uncertain how the story would continue.
Now, director Ryan Coogler has expressed why he feels Boseman would have wanted the movies to continue.
When will ‘Black Panther 2’ be released in theaters?
Though filming has been delayed due to Boseman’s death, the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and extensive rewrites, thus far, Black Panther 2 is still scheduled to hit theaters on July 8, 2022.
Boseman’s role will not be recast as the Wakandan king and that the new movie is set to explore Wakanda and some of the other beloved characters, including T’Challa’s sister Shuri (Letitia Wright).
“Chadwick Boseman was an immensely talented actor and an inspirational individual who affected all of our lives, professionally and personally,” Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige said in November 2020. “His portrayal of T’Challa, the Black Panther, is iconic, it transcends any other iteration of the character in any other medium from Marvel’s past, and it’s for that reason that we will not recast the character.”
Ryan Coogler had to rewrite the script for ‘Black Panther 2’ after Chadwick Boseman’s death
Following Boseman’s death and deciding to press forward with the Black Panther sequel, Coogler has to return to the drawing board and revamp his script before the movie could begin shooting.
“Ryan Coogler is working very hard right now on the script with all the respect and love and genius that he has, which gives us great solace, so it was always about furthering the mythology and the inspiration of Wakanda,” Feige said of the major changes that fans could expect.
Though it has undoubtedly been an arduous task to proceed without Boseman, Coogler says he feels that the late actor would’ve wanted the Black Panther movies to continue.
Ryan Coogler says Chadwick Boseman would’ve wanted the ‘Black Panther’ movies to keep going
Coogler explained how Boseman went above and beyond for the cast and crew on the first Black Panther movie set. He also says that he feels the Ma’ Rainey’s Black Bottom actor wouldn’t have wanted them to stop.
“It’s difficult. You’ve got to keep going when you lose loved ones,” he told The Hollywood Reporter. “I know Chad wouldn’t have wanted us to stop. He was somebody who was so about the collective. Black Panther, that was his movie. He was hired to play that role before anybody else was even thought of, before I was hired, before any of the actresses were hired.”
We’re sure that whatever Coogler and the cast come up with for Black Panther 2 will honor Boseman’s legacy.
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