It shouldn’t be much of a surprise that the discourse surrounding “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” is mainly focused on how the franchise is moving forward without its lead, Chadwick Boseman, who tragically passed away after a long bout with colon cancer. Because of this discourse, each person involved with the sequel has been vocal about why they think it’s a good thing that ‘Black Panther’ is continuing and how the new film deals with the real-life tragedy. But obviously, before Boseman passed away, the “Black Panther” sequel was a very different beast.
Speaking to THR, in a longer profile on actress Lupita Nyong’o, filmmaker Ryan Coogler explained just what the original version of “Black Panther 2” would have looked like. Of course, with Boseman in the lead, the film would have been focused on his character, T’Challa.
“The script we wrote before Chadwick passed was very much rooted in T’Challa’s perspective,” Coogler explained. “It was a massive movie but also simultaneously a character study that delved deeply into his psyche and situation.”
Sadly, after the death of Boseman, the sequel was turned into what are expecting now, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” This is now a film about a country mourning the passing of its leader, but also a film that welcomes in a new person as Black Panther. And as Nyong’o explained, it’s the right move to give the Black Panther persona to a new character and not recast Boseman’s role.
“That is not the death of the Black Panther, that’s the whole point,” Nyong’o said. “It’s laying to rest [T’Challa] and allowing for real life to inform the story of the movies. I know that there are all sorts of reasons why people want him to be recast, but I don’t have the patience. I don’t have the presence of mind, or I don’t have the objectivity to argue with that. I don’t. I’m very biased.”
Producer Nate Moore added, “The Black Panther has existed in Wakanda for centuries, so the notion of someone else picking up the mantle didn’t seem inorganic. But once that had to become a reality, then it was, ‘OK, what makes the most sense for the story? Who actually makes the most sense to take this thing on?’ All of the characters in the film have a different idea of who should don the mantle and why.”
The trailer and marketing materials seem to point to Shuri, played by Letitia Wright, as the person who accepts the role of Black Panther. However, there are rumors that maybe there is a character no one is expecting as the superhero by the time the film ends. Could that be Nyong’o, who plays the warrior Nakia?
“If I told you that, I might as well just … swim into the ocean and never be seen again,” teased the actress.
“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” debuts in theaters on November 11.
