The loss ofChadwick Bosemanwas detrimental to the cast, crew, and fans of theBlack Pantherfranchise. Audiences wondered how an eventual sequel could continue without the late actor, who lit up the screen with his performance as the titular character in the 2018 MCU film. Now, directorRyan Coogleris set to premiere his highly anticipated follow-up,Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, in theaters next month.
During the film’s red carpet premiere, Coogler spoke withDeadlineand discussed the influence Boseman had over the sequel. Although he wasn’t there in the physical form, the director says he wanted to carry his presence and attitude into the sequel in any way he could. “It’s complicated, it’s complicated, you know? What I will say is Chadwick was all about – he was all about pushing things forward while being aware of what took place behind him,” Coogler explains.
“That concept is kind of one of the things that I’ll always hold in terms of lessons from him. And he was also so, so, so brilliant at understanding moments, understanding the moment that he was in,” Coogler continues, stating his influence on the sequel. “So that’s why I was trying to channel him, you know what I mean? In terms of going through this process. Understanding that we have to keep moving forward, you know, even though we lost him in a physical sense, you know what I’m saying?”
Coogler concludes his statement by praising the late actor and his tremendous work on and off the camera. “He was a giant man. A giant of a man, you know, like the screen couldn’t contain him. Like to watch his movies is to only know a piece of him, you know what I mean? And we felt so fortunate to know the whole guy, and we try and honor him on this one.”
Related:Black Panther: Wakanda Forever First Reactions Praise a Poignant & Powerful MCU Outing
Black Panther: Wakanda Foreveris Ready for Release
Black Panther: Wakanda Foreverwill introduce someone new as the titular hero, with many fans believing it will be Shuri (Letitia Wright) from the previous films. Her character is essentially a technological genius, outsmarting people like Tony Stark in previous MCU movies. However, we have yet to see Shuri from a pure hero standpoint, though the recenttrailerscertainly point to her character taking on the Black Panther mantle.
Black Panther: Wakanda Foreverintroduces Tenoch Huerta as Namor, the film’s antagonist. He will star alongside a fantastic cast with a ton of returning characters. Angela Bassett, Martin Freeman, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Dominique Thorne, Winston Duke, Michael Coel, and Mabel Cadena are just a few actors starring in the film.Black Panther: Wakanda Foreverarrives in theaters around the world next month, debuting on Nov. 11.
