Marvel Studios is looking to bring inNarcos: MexicostarTenoch Huertaas the villain in the superhero sequelBlack Panther 2with production reportedly set to begin next summer. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Marvel is preparing to begin shooting the movie in Atlanta starting in July 2021. It was also reported that Huerta is in talks to play one of the antagonists in the movie, though it’s still unclear which character he’d be playing.
THR’s sources also claim Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke, and Angela Bassett are all expected to return to reprise their roles from the firstBlack Panther. Wright will reportedly be taking on a “more prominent role” in the sequel, per the report. While nothing has been confirmed by Marvel, fans have been speculating that Wright could assume the new lead role withShuristepping up as the new Black Panther.
“We’re just still mourning Chad, so it’s not something I even want to think about,” Wright told Net-a-Porter last month, addressing the Shuri rumors. “The thought of doing it without him is kinda strange. We’re just grieving at the moment, so it’s trying to find the light in the midst of it.”
With the sequel in its early stages, there’s no word yet on any plot details, making it unclear how the franchise will continue followingChadwick Boseman’s deathin August. The actor’s passing came as a complete shock to Boseman’s fans and colleagues, as he had kept his condition private. Only after his death was it publicly revealed that he had been battling colon cancer since 2016. At the time, Boseman was preparing to return forBlack Panther 2, which was already in the works based on the success of the original. Marvel has since confirmed that CGI will not be used to posthumously include Boseman in the sequel.
The originalBlack Pantherwas an instant blockbuster hit when it was released in theaters in 2018, ultimately grossing over $1.3 billion dollars at the box office. Directed by Ryan Coogler, the movie starred Boseman as T’Challa, theking of Wakandawho is challenged by the supervillain Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan), a black-ops soldier hoping to begin a global revolution. Also a hit at awards season, the movie was up for Best Picture at the Academy Awards and took home three of its seven total nominations.
Several other anticipated Marvel movies are also set to begin production next year, further growing the ever-expanding MCU. Taika Waititi will helm the sequelThor: Love and Thunderwith filming scheduled to start in Australia in January. The nextAnt-Manmovie and James Gunn’sGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3are also penciled in for 2021 shoots.
Meanwhile,Spider-Man 3andDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnesshave already begun filming. The next installment of the MCU to be released following an entire year with none at all will beBlack Widow, which is slated to premiere on July 22, 2025. This news comes to us fromThe Hollywood Reporter.
