“Black Panther 2” Director Talks Original Plans
Black Panther 2 is currently expected to be one of the biggest films in the history of the MCU, with early projections sitting at a $180 million box office haul, despite, sadly, losing its leading man, Chadwick Boseman.
And given that the actor passed before he was able to film any scenes as T’Challa, the project had to be massively retooled because Marvel has been steadfast about not recasting the role. During a recent interview with THR, director Ryan Coogler commented on the difficulties of moving forward with the production and some of the changes they had to make, stating:
Losing your centerpiece, everything changed. When you say the world rotated around him, it revolved around him, it did. The script we wrote before Chadwick passed was very much rooted in T’Challa’s perspective. It was a massive movie but also simultaneously a character study that delved deeply into his psyche and situation.”
Franchise co-star, Lupita Nyong’o, who plays Nakia, echoed the sentiments of the helmer and doubled down with support of Marvel choosing to not recast, commenting that:
That is not the death of the Black Panther, that’s the whole point. It’s laying to rest [T’Challa] and allowing for real life to inform the story of the movies. I know that there are all sorts of reasons why people want him to be recast, but I don’t have the patience. I don’t have the presence of mind, or I don’t have the objectivity to argue with that. I don’t. I’m very biased.
The film is supposedly intensely personal, with a centerpiece of the plot seeing the country of Wakanda reeling from the loss of its king and protector, while those who were closest to him trying to find a way to move forward. However, when a new threat looms, a new champion will have to step up and take the mantle of Black Panther.
Most are hedging their bets that it will be Letitia Wright’s Shuri who takes control, though some expect it to be Winston Duke’s M’Baku. A vocal minority, meanwhile, are looking to the comic source material and are predicting that Michael B. Jordan will be back in the fold as the new Black Panther. There is a precedent in the comics that sees his Killmonger character get resurrected on several occasions. While this might seem far-fetched, it is the most intriguing possibility.
Either way, audiences won’t have long to wait, with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever set to release worldwide on November 11th.
