After Chadwick Boseman’s untimely death in 2020, several questions surrounded the fate of the beloved Marvel character T’Challa, the Black Panther. Following the release of the trailer for the sequel film, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” it appeared that even roughly two months before the highly anticipated movie’s debut, there still was much mystery.
During a recent sit-down with Empire, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige explained the decision not to recast the King of Wakanda for now.
“It just felt like it was much too soon to recast,” said Feige. “Stan Lee always said that Marvel represents the world outside your window. And we had talked about how, as extraordinary and fantastical as our characters and stories are, there’s a relatable and human element to everything we do. The world is still processing the loss of Chad. And [director] Ryan [Coogler] poured that into the story.”
Feige continued, “The conversations were entirely about, yes, ‘What do we do next?’ And how could the legacy of Chadwick — and what he had done to help Wakanda and the Black Panther become these incredible, aspirational, iconic ideas — continue? That’s what it was all about.”
The “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” trailer ends with a glimpse of a hand unsheathing claws, leaving many to believe any number of the film’s ensemble cast may take the reins or perhaps a new actor would take the role.
Per the original story, Shuri, portrayed by actress Letitia Wright, became Black Panther for a brief period. However, the films that Ryan Coogler directed drastically have shifted from their comic days.
Actors Wright, Angela Bassett, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira and Winston Duke are all set to reprise their roles, including Emmy Award-winning actress Michaela Coel, Dominique Thorne and Florence Kasumba.
British star Daniel Kayluuya, who played W’Kabi, head of security for the Border Tribe and best friend to T’Challa, will not return due to scheduling issues. The Oscar-winning actor had been filming for Jordan Peele’s third horror installment, “Nope,” at the time of production on the sequel.
“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” will hit theaters on Nov. 11.
