Chadwick Boseman passed away in August 2020, after a four-year battle with colon cancer. It was a shock to his fans since he kept his illness private and continued to star in films, including Black Panther, while undergoing treatment.
But with whispers of a Black Panther sequel, the fans couldn’t help but wonder – who will play the new king of Wakanda?
It turns out, no one.
The Only Black Panther
As a tribute to Chadwick Boseman’s legacy, the role of Black Panther will not be recast.
Marvel Studios president, Kevin Feige, said, “His portrayal is iconic and transcends any 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.”
But make no mistake, there will be a Black Panther 2.
Director Ryan Coogler, director of the original Black Panther which is the first superhero film nominated for best pictures at the Oscars, is already “hard at work” on the sequel which is due 2022. Filming will start early 2021.
“To honour the legacy that Chad helped us build, we want to continue to explore the world of Wakanda and all the rich and varied characters introduced in the first film,” Feige said.
Working Around the Loss
Now, you’re probably thinking, how are we going to have a Black Panther movie without Black Panther?
There were rumours that a digital double would be used, but that has been denied by Victoria Alonso Black Panther’s executive producer.
“No. There’s only one Chadwick, and he’s no longer with us. Sadly, our king has died in real life, not only in fiction, and we’re taking a little time to see how we continue the story and how to honour this chapter of what has unexpectedly happened to us, so painful and terrible to be honest.”
“Chadwick wasn’t only a wonderful human being, every day of the 5 years we spent together, but also, I believe, that what he did as a character elevated us as a company, and has left his moment on history.”
So they’re taking the time to figure things out, and I guess we will only know how they work around this problem in 2022.
“I know that sometimes in productions, 2 or 3 months go by and we say that too much time has passed. But it’s not too much time. We have to really think about what we’re going to do next and how. And decide how we’re going to honour the franchise,” Alonso said.
Now, this is making us even more excited about the film, no?
Featured Image: Tinseltown / Shutterstock.com
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