In an interview with Empire, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige explained the decision to not recast T’Challa in the MCU. Chadwick Boseman died of colon cancer in August 2020, two years after Black Panther’s release.
“It just felt like it was much too soon to recast,” Feige said. “Stan Lee always said that Marvel represents the world outside your window. And we had talked about how, as extraordinary and fantastical as our characters and stories are, there’s a relatable and human element to everything we do. The world is still processing the loss of Chad. And Ryan [Coogler, director] poured that into the story.”
Feige also added that internally there were many conversations that were “entirely” about, “‘What do we do next?’ And how could the legacy of Chadwick–and what he had done to help Wakanda and the Black Panther become these incredible, aspirational, iconic ideas–continue?” Empire and other publications are interpreting this comment to mean possibly, someday, Marvel will recast Boseman’s role.
Wakanda Forever, a direct sequel to 2018’s Black Panther, will hit theaters on November 11. This past summer, we were treated to the film’s first trailer–which debuted at Comic-Con. At the D23 Expo earlier this month, in-person attendees were treated exclusively to an early look at some footage from the film. And though that clip hasn’t yet made its way online, you can read about what was screened, the reaction to it, and other announcements from Marvel about the film.
Earlier this year, Feige also announced that Wakanda Forever will end Phase 4 of the MCU. Feige proceeded to announce and confirm several other projects including Blade’s new release date, Thunderbolts, and Daredevil: Born Again.
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