Don’t worry, “Black Panther” fans. The long-awaited Marvel sequel, “Wakanda Forever,” may mourn the loss of King T’Challa (played by the late Chadwick Boseman), but the film still finds a way to honor him with a proper sendoff.
Following Boseman’s death on Aug. 28, 2020 – the actor died after a battle with colon cancer at age 43 – fans had mixed feelings about his role getting recast in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” However, during Disney’s Investor Day event in December of that year, Marvel confirmed Boseman would not be replaced with another actor.
“You will not see T’Challa in the [Marvel Cinematic Universe] 616 universe. We couldn’t do it.”
“Chadwick Boseman was an immensely talented actor and an inspirational individual who affected all of our lives professionally and personally,” said Marvel president Kevin Feige, per Deadline. “His portrayal of T’Challa the Black Panther is iconic and transcends iteration of the character in any other medium from Marvel’s past. To honor the legacy that Chad helped us build through his portrayal of the king of Wakanda, we want to continue to explore the world of Wakanda and all of the rich and varied characters introduced in the first film.”
Marvel producer Nate Moore, who worked on the first “Black Panther” movie, reflected on the decision not to recast Boseman’s character for the sequel during the Nov. 12, 2021 episode of the “Ringer-Verse” podcast. “I’m being quite honest. You will not see T’Challa in the [Marvel Cinematic Universe] 616 universe. We couldn’t do it,” he said. Moore explained that he and director Ryan Coogler had a “fast conversation” following Boseman’s death about the potential of recasting and ultimately decided that since “so much of T’Challa in the MCU on the screen . . . is tied to Chadwick’s performance,” it didn’t seem right to replace him.
Boseman is remembered for several important and memorable roles – including Thurgood Marshall in “Marshall,” Jackie Robinson in “42,” James Brown in “Get On Up,” Norman Earl “Stormin’ Norm” Holloway in Spike Lee’s “Da 5 Bloods,” Levee in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” and, of course, T’Challa/Black Panther in the MCU.
Boseman first appeared in the MCU during “Captain America: Civil War” before he stepped into his coveted suit for “Black Panther.” The Coogler-directed film shattered box-office records and ushered in a much-needed standard of onscreen representation in the superhero world.
Unsurprisingly, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” was set into motion as part of Marvel’s Phase Four, in which Boseman was expected to return as the lead. However, after news of his death, fans requested King T’Challa not be recast and instead suggested Letitia Wright’s Shuri become the leader of Wakanda.
Read ahead to see how “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” handles the future of the film franchise without Boseman as T’Challa.
Who Will Replace Chadwick Boseman in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”?
There have been plenty of rumors about the “Black Panther” sequel leading up to the movie’s Nov. 11 release, specifically surrounding Boseman’s inclusion in the film and whether another character will replace him as Wakanda’s new leader. Though specific details about that are still unclear, many believe Wright will play a bigger role in the future of “Black Panther,” especially since the movie’s latest trailer, released Oct. 3, teases what looks like a female character stepping into the Panther suit.
Regardless of whether or not Boseman’s T’Challa is replaced in the sequel, there’s no doubt the movie acknowledges him in a major way. “We honored him by committing ourselves to the story that he started, the legacy that he started with this franchise,” Wright told Variety back in May. “And we just committed every day to working hard, no matter what circumstances we faced – and we faced a lot of circumstances, a lot of difficult situations – but we came together as a team, and we poured everything into this movie.”