"Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" will start in cinemas in a few days - but without its former leading actor Chadwick Boseman. His sudden death presented the creators with a challenge and now makes the sequel "difficult and dark in a necessary way".
The new Marvel work "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" starts in German cinemas on November 9th. Production on the sequel to Black Panther (2018) was rocked in August 2020 by the news that lead actor Chadwick Boseman passed away at the age of just 43. Boseman embodied the character T'Challa/Black Panther in the Marvel Cinematic Universe from 2016 to 2019 - and received his first solo film as the title hero with "Black Panther".
In the sequel, which Marvel had already announced in 2018, and probably in a third part, Boseman would have played the leading role again without question. Director Ryan Coogler told The Hollywood Reporter in October 2022: "The script that we wrote before Chadwick passed was very much anchored in T'Challa's perspective." Coogler had to change this original plan after Boseman's tragic death. He knew just as little about the serious illness of the star as those responsible at Marvel.
Looking back, and knowing what we know today, Boseman's final career years seem all the more impressive. In 2016 he was diagnosed with stage III colon cancer. The Hollywood star never made that public. According to The Hollywood Reporter, apart from the star's family, only a handful of people, including his agent and trainer, knew of Boseman's diagnosis.
During his treatment, which consisted of multiple surgeries and chemotherapy, Boseman continued to work, completing three Marvel works, including 21 Bridges (2019), Da 5 Bloods (2020) and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. (2020) onwards. Legendary director Spike Lee, who directed "Da 5 Bloods", knew nothing of Boseman's cancer, nor did Marvel boss Kevin Feige.
Boseman himself thought he would beat cancer until about a week before his death in late August 2020, according to The Hollywood Reporter. For the shooting of "Black Panther 2" planned for March 2021, he wanted to strengthen his weakened, thin body again and gain weight from September.
Following Boseman's death and a period of grief, Marvel Studios has made a decision about the future of the character Black Panther and the planned sequel, Black Panther 2. The conceivable option of having Boseman appear as a digitally generated double in the sequel was quickly ruled out. Then, in December 2020, Marvel boss Feige stated: "[Chadwick Boseman's] portrayal of T'Challa, the Black Panther, is iconic and surpasses any version of the character in any other medium from Marvel's past. And that's why we won't use the character." re-occupy".
Marvel viewers will be treated to a rather unusual film in the superfranchise in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Because the character T'Challa is deceased in the world of film. Exactly how this happened is currently a mystery. However, the trailer for "Black Panther 2" shows the fictional African country of Wakanda in mourning. Brian Davids of The Hollywood Reporter, who has already seen the film, tweeted: "('Black Panther 2') is heavy and dark in a necessary way, and largely transcends the signature Marvel Studios tone." . Instead of the usual colorful slapstick, the tragic death of the real actor Boseman is processed a bit in the pop culture work.
Actress Letitia Wright once again embodies T'Challa's sister with Shuri in "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" - and could even become the new Black Panther in the film. Wright told Variety they honor Boseman "by dedicating ourselves to the history and legacy he started with this franchise."
Actress Lupita Nyong'o, who played T'Challa's ex-girlfriend Nakia in "Black Panther" and is also back in the sequel, considers a continuation of the story to be "spiritually and emotionally correct", as she tells "Yahoo! Entertainment". betrayed. "Elle" told Nyong'o that she was initially dreading a conversation with director Coogler, in which he wanted to present his plans for a second film without Boseman. But then she was very relieved when the filmmaker explained his new idea. "In the face of a deep sea of grief, he offered a raft," Nyong'o said.
