In reference to Chadwick Boseman’s tragic passing, the CEO added, “The world is still digesting the loss of Chad.”
Kevin Feige, president of Marvel Studios, has spoken out about his decision to not replace Chadwick Boseman’s character T’Challa for the Wakanda Forever sequel to Black Panther.
In an interview with Empire, Feige emphasised that Boseman should be recognised in Ryan Coogler’s sequel rather than being replaced.
Simply put, it seemed much too soon to recast. Marvel, according to Stan Lee, is a representation of the world beyond your window. And we had discussed how everything we produce has a relatable and human component, despite how incredible and otherworldly our characters and storylines are. The loss of Chad is still being processed by society. And Ryan infused that throughout the narrative,” the head of Marvel Studios said to Empire.
T’Challa/Black Panther was invented by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in 1966. Marvel and the creators of Black Panther 2 were compelled to reimagine the sequel after Boseman passed away from colon cancer in August 2020.
“Yes, the discussions were solely focused on the question, ‘What should we do next?’ And how could Chadwick’s legacy—and the work he had done to make Wakanda and the Black Panther into these amazing, inspiring, and iconic concepts—continue? That was the main focus, according to Feige.
The sequel to Coogler’s 2018 film, which established a cultural touchstone and received an Oscar nomination for best picture, is titled Wakanda Forever. Before the Black Panther actor Boseman’s tragic passing, Coogler penned a follow-up for him.
To commemorate Boseman’s legacy while moving forward, Coogler and Marvel Studios set to work.
Lupita Nyong’o, Robin Wright, Winston Duke, Danai Gurira, Florence Kasumba, Bassett, and Martin Freeman are among the stars of Wakanda Forever, which also stars Dominique Thorne as the protagonist Riri Williams and Marvel newcomer Tenoch Huerta as Namor.
On November 11, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will be released in theatres.
