Chadwick Boseman succumbed to his five-year-long battle with colon cancer on Friday evening, leaving a trail of heartbroken fans behind.
Best known for his role as Black Panther in the MCU films, Boseman has also played roles in movies like Get On Up, 42, and Marshall. The actor was going to be seen next in Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods, and in an upcoming adaptation of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.
About Black Panther 2
The film was to be released on May 6, 2020, as confirmed by Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige at Disney’s D23 Expo event in August 2019, but later shifted to the 8th of the same month. The film was supposed to begin shooting in the spring of 2021, with Ryan Coogler returning as director and co-writer.
“The Panther has been around for more than half a century in the comic books, and there are many, many stories to tell,” Feige had told Variety in an interview. Although this was not helpful in the way of getting hints, Feige did say Coogler was looking to delve into the early life of T’Challa.
“We would talk about that ancestral plane sequence [in Black Panther] where, towards the end of the movie, T’Challa takes the herb again and encounters his father, and he’s like, ‘Hey, man. We’ve kind of screwed up, and I want to change it.'” he recalled.
“There’s that moment where all of the ancestors come behind T’Chaka. We would joke and go, ‘I want to see their story? What’s that story? Who was Bashenga, the first king of Wakanda? Who’s that third to the left, behind T’Chaka? What was their story in Wakanda of 1938? That would be so cool.’ It all starts as conversations like that.”
“The more audiences want to see these stories, the more opportunities we have to explore different places and time”, the Marvel president had said.
Ryan Coogler had also made some remarks about how the Black Panther is a grown man in the first movie, but there is obviously a deep story etched in his background. Going into the background of the superhero would also give a base to the rumours of Michael B. Jordan returning as Killmonger even though he had died in the first part.
The title of the film, however, is highly unlikely to be just Black Panther 2.
Cast of Black Panther 2
Almost the entire cast of Black Panther was expected to return for Black Panther 2l, with Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa leading the team that includes Wakandan characters portrayed by Lupita Nyong’ o (Nakia), Danai Gurira (Okoye), Letitia Wright (Shuri), Winston Duke (M’Baku), and Daniel Kaluuya (W’Kabi). Martin Freeman is also expected to reprise his role as CIA agent Everett K. Ross.
Where does Black Panther 2 stand after Boseman’s death?
Fans have stormed twitter, asking Marvel Studios not to recast the role of Black Panther or go ahead with the movie without Boseman.
Some fans want to see T’Challa’s sister Shuri take up the mantle as the ruler, and this was expected sooner or later, especially with Feige’s phase 4 of the MCU.
However, Marvel has most likely approached Donald Glover to replace Boseman, and the actor-singer-comedian is currently in “informal talks” with Coogler about the role.
It is quite clear that with Boseman’s passing, it’s uncertain how (or if) tBlack Panther 2 will proceed or what casting decisions will be made.
Stay tuned to The Hollywood Tribune for updates on Black Panther 2, and more news from Hollywood and Beyond!
