Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Producer Reveals If There Were Other Options to Replace T’Challa

After Chadwick Boseman passed away in 2020, Marvel Studios quickly decided to not recast the character of T’Challa. Instead, Ryan Coogler and the filmmakers behind Black Panther: Wakanda Forever opted to use the film as a tribute to the late actor, having his character die due to illness in the sequel. As trailers and marketing collateral for the film has now confirmed, Shuri (Letitia Wright) has become the new Black Panther after managing to synthetically recreated the Heart-Shaped Herb.

Black Panther producer Nate Moore says Shuri was ultimately the only choice for the mantle given the script and narrative at hand.

“It was the only conversation we had. We’re aware of conversation online, but I’m also a big comic fan. If you think of it from publishing, this is a little inevitable,” Moore said in a recent stop with Yahoo!. “When you think about it narratively with the story we were telling, [Shuri] is the most affected by T’Challa’s passing. She’s maybe the only one who has the tools to bring the Heart-Shaped Herb back.”

That’s when the filmmaker added that he felt the fan calls to cast someone else in the role were misguided.

“From a purer standpoint, I think it’s really the only choice. Calls for M’Baku or Okyoe or Nakia seemed like throwing darts at a dart board for me,” Moore added. “Shuri’s transition from where she starts to where she ends this film tells the story of why should she should be Black Panther.” 

Now in theaters, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever follows Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), Shuri (Letitia Wright), M’Baku (Winston Duke), Okoye (Danai Gurira) and the Dora Milaje (including Florence Kasumba) as they fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T’Challa’s death. 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.  It has yet to be seen where the Midnight Angels tie into the story.

Introducing Tenoch Huerta as Namor, king of a hidden undersea nation, the film also stars Dominique Thorne, Michaela Coel, Mabel Cadena and Alex Livanalli.