There’s been a lot of speculation about how the Black Panther franchise would continue after the tragic death of star Chadwick Boseman earlier this year. Black Panther 2 seemed like it was in limbo. Until now.
It appears Marvel Studios finally has its plan for the much-anticipated sequel, which is scheduled for release in 2022.
The film studio has assured fans that it won’t replace Boseman as the titular character, and it’s gone on record to report it won’t use any digital trickery to utilize the late actor’s image, ala Carrie Fisher’s Princes Leia in The Rise of Skywalker.
“There’s only one Chadwick, and he’s not with us,” Victoria Alonso, Marvel Studio’s executive vice president of production and a producer on the film, said. “Our king, unfortunately, has died in real life, not just in fiction, and we are taking a little time to see how we return to history and what we do to honor this chapter of what has happened to us that was so unexpected, so painful, so terrible, really.”
According to Fansided, Letitia Wright’s Shuri will play a much larger role in the upcoming film, with the action focusing on her rise. The site sources The Hollywood Reporter,which shared the actress will take on a “more prominent role,” as many fans have expressed interest in seeing the character take charge of the franchise.
After all, Shuri is T’Challa’s sister and she’s apparently set to be a big part of the future of the Avengers.
Image Credit: Marvel Studios/Disney
With Black Panther 2 not set to begin shooting until summer of 2021, there’s plenty of things that can still happen, but for now, this appears to be the strategic plan for the film going forward.
The trio of Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke and Angela Bassett are all expected to reprise their roles for the sequel, and Mexican film star Tenoch Huerta has reportedly signed on to play the main villain in the film.
No one believes that Chadwick can ever be replaced, and director and writer Ryan Coogler is sure to give the actor and character a worthy tribute in the film.
