The first Black Panther movie was a huge hit. Marvel fans have been looking forward to its sequel, but the shocking death of its lead star Chadwick Boseman led many to ask — how would Marvel Studious push with the anticipated sequel?
Despite Boseman's passing, Marvel will do the sequel. The second film is titled Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and it is slated for release on May 8, 2022, Digital Trends reported.
Here are some of the things to expect in Wakanda Forever.
1. No recast for Chadwick Boseman's role
Marvel has no plans to look for a new lead actor for Black Panther. Marvel Studios' EVP Victoria Alonso acknowledged that there is only one Chadwick Boseman and they will not replace him as the King of Wakanda.
"There's only one Chadwick and he's not with us," Alonso said per Digital Spy. "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 honour this chapter of what has happened to us that was so unexpected, so painful, so terrible, really."
"So much of the comics and that first movie is the world of Wakanda. Wakanda is a place to further explore with characters and different subcultures. This was always and initially the primary focus of the next story. We're not going to have a CG Chadwick and we're not recasting T'Challa," Marvel studio Boss Kevin Feige said.
2. The sequel aims to make Chad proud
Marvel has not explained how it will make the Black Panther 2 sans Boseman. It's clear that he will still be part of the movie and the people behind it wants to honor him in the sequel.
"It's clearly very emotional without Chad," Feige added. "But everyone is also very excited to bring the world of Wakanda back to the public and back to the fans. We're going to do it in a way that would make Chad proud."
3. Film will introduce a new superhero
Dominique Thorne will be joining the cast to play Riri Williams a.k.a. the next Iron Man or Iron Woman.
Williams is a teen clever who will create her own Iron Man suit. She will be known as Ironheart.
"We're shooting Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, right now, and the character of Riri Williams, you will meet in Black Panther 2 first," Feige told ComicBook.com. "She started shooting. I think, this week before her Ironheart series."
4. What to expect in the film?
According to Disney's announcement, Black Panther 2 will honor Boseman's legacy and portrayal of T'Challa. And since Boseman is not present to film, the movie will focus on the world of Wakanda and the rich characters introduced in the first film.
It will also likely cover the Black Panther's history as leader and protector of Wakanda. It will also likely include a back story about T'Challa's father T'Chaka.
"There's that moment where all of the ancestors come behind T'Chaka. We would joke and go, ‘I want to see … what's their story? What's that story? Who was Bashenga, the first king of Wakanda?" Feige said.
"Who's that third to the left, behind T'Chaka? What was their story in Wakanda in 1938? That would be 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."
5. Who will return in the sequel
Boseman is still expected to appear in the sequel in any form. His co-stars Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, Daniel Kaluuya, and Martin Freeman will also reprise their roles.
Aside from Thorne as Iron Heart, there are rumors that musician, writer, and comedian Donald Glover is being courted for a new role in the film. He played a small role in Tom Holland's Spider-Man: Homecoming. Although there are no details about his potential role, there are speculations that will likely play a villain role.
Explore new topics and discover content that's right for you!
Marvel