Black Panther 2: Martin Freeman Was Told the Whole Plot by Ryan Coogler

Last week, Marvel announced some new release dates for its upcoming slate of films, including Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. After the unexpected passing of Chadwick Boseman, it was unclear if Marvel would continue with the sequel, but it appears writer/director Ryan Coogler has a backup plan ready to go. In fact, Martin Freeman, who played Evertt K. Ross in Captain America: Civil War and Black Panther, recently told ET Online that he's heard the movie's entire new plot from Coogler.

"I had a Zoom call with Ryan Coogler, the director and co-writer about seven or eight weeks ago, I suppose," Freeman shared. "He sort of meticulously took me through all of my character's beats in the film. He took me through the film, but incorporating my character's beats."

"Some of it was very odd, and I think [Coogler] could see from the reaction on my face to some of the things he was saying," Freeman added with a laugh. "He kept sort of stopping, and he kept going, 'Stay with me, but this is going to work.'" When asked if the sequel will live up to the hype, Freeman replied, "I mean, we've not done it yet, who knows, we might make it awful, but I'm hoping we won't ... I hope people will be in for a treat."

Freeman also spoke about Boseman's passing during the interview. "Obviously the hope is we do the first film justice and we do Chadwick's legacy on it justice and make hopefully another good film," he shared.

Recently, Lupita Nyong'o, who will be returning for the sequel to play Nakia, talked about the upcoming movie with Yahoo!. She spoke about Coogler's retooling the story after the loss of Boseman.

"People will ask me, 'Are you excited to go back?' Excitement isn't the word. I feel like I'm in a very pensive and meditative state when it comes to Black Panther 2. His passing is still extremely raw for me," Nyong'o shared. "And I can't even begin to imagine what it will be like to step on set and not have him there... But at the same time we have a leader in Ryan, who feels very much like we do, who feels the loss in a very, very real way as well."

"And his idea, the way which he has reshaped the second movie is so respectful of the loss we've all experienced as a cast and as a world," she added. "So it feels spiritually and emotionally correct to do this. And hopefully, what I do look forward to, is getting back together and honoring what he started with us and holding his light through it. Because he left us a lot of light that we're still going to be bathing in. I know that for sure."

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is expected to hit theaters on July 8, 2022. You can currently stream the first Black Panther on Disney+.