Chadwick Boseman died unexpectedly in 2020, a couple years after Black Panther had become one of Marvel’s most well-regarded movies; it remains the only one ever in contention for the Best Picture Oscar.
That meant Marvel had to rethink the Black Panther series moving forward. A sequel was already in development, but obviously Boseman won’t be in it anymore. We still don’t know who’s playing the new Black Panther, although we know there is one based on the trailer released at San Diego Comic-Con (sidenote: this was definitely the best trailer of the weekend):
Odds are it’s Shuri (Letitia Wright), King T’Challa’s sister. But after Boseman’s passing, there are no guarantees.
How the production of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever honored Charwick Boseman. “He was with us”
“It’s been a doozy of a few years for everybody,” Black Panther veteran Lupita Nyong’o (Nakia) told The Hollywood Reporter. “For us as a cast, having lost our king, Chadwick Boseman, that was a lot to process, and in many ways, we’re still processing it. When you lose someone, I don’t know when you stop missing them. And of course, we felt it so much, making this film without him.”
"To make this film against all odds is a powerful statement unto itself, and I am very proud that we did it. It was very therapeutic. It restored a sense of hope for me in making it, and I think we’ve expanded the world of Wakanda in ways that will blow people’s minds—not just Wakanda, but the Black Panther world. It’s gonna blow people’s minds, and I just cannot wait until it’s not a secret anymore."
Speaking to MTV News on the SDCC red carpet, Nyong’o detailed how they were honoring Boseman during production:
"Our call sheets didn’t have a #1. That was reserved for Chadwick. He was with us. This script… when you take your pain and make something beautiful out of it, it resonates. And I think that’s what people were feeling in Hall H today, and I hope that’s what people will continue to feel as they see a little bit more and finally get to see the movie."
It’s hard to judge a movie based purely on the trailer, but watching it, I do get a sense of beautiful melancholy you don’t normally see in Marvel movies. I hope the actual film is as good as advertised. We’ll find out when Black Panther: Wakanda Forever comes out in theaters on November 11.
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