In just a matter of weeks, Black Panther Wakanda Forever will hit cinema screens. The highly-anticipated Marvel sequel will be the first film to address the death of Chadwick Boseman, which happened in 2020. The trailers have already shown off the impact of T’Challa’s death, but long before the American actor died, the script had a different angle for the future of the movie.
Writer and director of the series, Ryan Coogler, recently opened up about the script changes he worked through during this difficult time.
Boseman died on August 28, 2020, after losing his battle against colon cancer. Long before his death, Coogler – who did not know about the star’s illness – had penned a heartfelt sequel to Black Panther that looked deep into the mindset of the King of Wakanda.
He has now revealed: “The script we wrote before Chadwick passed was very much rooted in T’Challa’s perspective. It was a massive movie but also simultaneously a character study that delved deeply into his psyche and situation.”
The American director, alongside his co-writer, Joe Robert Cole, explained they had written a script that “centred on T’Challa’s character and his evolution as a leader”. (Via The Hollywood Reporter)
This plotline for the movie would have been a huge change for the Marvel series, which has always remained relatively light-hearted and resembled Hollywood blockbusters more than anything.
However, considering T’Challa was a superhero, as well as the leader of the world’s most powerful country, politics and human interest, would have been a natural direction for the series going forward.
After the details of Boseman’s death were announced, however, Coogler had to chart a different course for the movie.
It is currently not known how Black Panther 2 will deal with the untimely death of T’Challa, but it has been confirmed his role as the superhero will be replaced by a newcomer. As of yet, the person taking on the mantle has not been revealed.
Lupita Nyong’o, who played Boseman’s on-screen love interest, Nakia, commented: “That is not the death of the Black Panther, that’s the whole point. 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 [Boseman] 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.”
Nate Moore, a producer on the film, and the VP of Production and Development at Marvel Studios, agreed with the decision to not remove Black Panther from the equation entirely.
He said: “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.”
Black Panther is available to stream on Disney Plus now.
Black Panther Wakanda Forever hits cinemas on 11 November, 2022.
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