Kevin Feige Reveals Why Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Didn't Recast Chadwick Boseman
The next Marvel Studios film on the calendar is November's Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, with Ryan Coogler returning to direct the sequel. The movie will be without its franchise star, Chadwick Boseman, who tragically passed away from colon cancer in 2020. There has been much discussion on how Black Panther: Wakanda Forever would move on without Boseman, with Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige saying on several occasions that another actor wouldn't be brought in to play King T'Challa. The first trailer for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever gave the first hints at how it will honor Chadwick Boseman, and now Feige has commented on the reason Boseman's role wasn't recast.
"It just felt like it was much too soon to recast," Feige told Empire Magazine. He later said how the plan is to follow the comics that inspired much of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. "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 poured that into the story."
Feige later spoke of the conversations he had with Ryan Coogler on shaping the story of Black Panther 2. "The conversations were entirely about, yes, 'What do we do next?'" Feige explained. "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? That's what it was all about."
Namor the Sub-Mariner Makes MCU Debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
The latest cover of Empire features Black Panther stars Angela Bassett, Letitia Wright, and Tenoch Huerta, who play Queen Ramonda, Shuri, and Namor the Sub-Mariner, respectively. The Black Panther: Wakanda Forever trailer sets Namor up as the antagonist of the film, with Atlantis and Wakanda finding themselves preparing for war.
"In Marvel Studios' Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), Shuri (Letitia Wright), M'Baku (Winston Duke), Okoye (Danai Gurira) and the Dora Milaje (including Florence Kasumba), fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T'Challa's death," the description of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever reads.
"As the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes must band together with the help of War Dog Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o) and Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) and forge a new path for the kingdom of Wakanda. Introducing Tenoch Huerta as Namor, king of a hidden undersea nation, the film also stars Dominique Thorne, Michaela Coel, Mabel Cadena and Alex Livanalli."
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever lands in theaters on November 11th.