The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a well-oiled machine, one that's constantly releasing new content in theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. It's safe to say that the most highly anticipated upcoming Marvel movie is Avengers: Doomsday, especially as the marketing campaign has begun. Im hyped to see what The Russo Brothers are bringing to the blockbuster, but Michael B. Jordan's comments about Chadwick Boseman have me in my feelings about his absence.
What we know about Avengers: Doomsday is limited, but Chadwick Boseman's 2020 death obviously means T'Challa won't be included. His absence has been felt in projects like Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and he'll be noticeably missing from the next two Avengers movies. During an appearance at SBIFF 2026, Jordan gushed about his relationship with the late actor, saying:
Chadwick’s amazing. I won't say he was a serious actor, but he studies, went to a performing arts school. He's about 10 years older than me, so he's got this wisdom to him. And his experience, similar to Ryan [Coogler] in a way, where he feels a lot older. And his presence is a lot…. it feels more and more worldly. Chadwick feels very worldly to me. And, at the time, me and him were shooting Black Panther, he stayed in a huge state of method the whole time. He stayed in character. And I kind of did, too.
Clearly Jordan has (and continues to) have a ton of respect and love for Chadwick Boseman. He really helped to lead the Black Panther cast, encouraging his co-stars to step up their game and bring the world of Wakanda to life. That includes working hard and even staying in character while on set. Those efforts paid off, as Black Panther was a huge success when arriving in theaters.
Fans who spent years watching the Marvel movies in order know how instantly Black Panther became a fan favorite franchise. Chadwick Boseman and Michael B. Jordan's chemistry was part of the reason why Ryan Coogler's movie worked so well, as the Oscar-nominated Sinners star put it:
We were two forces that would continually meet on set in a way that people were like, ‘Yo, the camera’s rolling? Make sure we get this shit.’ You know what I’m saying? So we really brought that out of each other.
He's not wrong. While some Marvel villains have left something to be desired, Killmonger's quest for vengeance and power was an emotional, human story. And when he and T'Challa got to connect, particularly during Black Panther's ending, the two actors' chemistry exploded off the screen.
The Black Panther cast and crew has been open about their grief over Boseman, especially once they returned to set for Wakanda Forever. Michael B. Jordan went on to share how bummed he is that he won't be able to collaborate with the late actor again, saying:
Listen, I love that guy so much, and it saddens me every time I think about [how] I won't get a chance to work with him again. And his family and his approach to the craft and how he treated people, it's a beautiful thing, and man, bro, sometimes I don't even know how to talk about Chad.
One has to assume that Boseman would be included in the next Avengers movie if he was still with us today. Both Letitia Wright and Winston Duke were confirmed with the Doomsday cast announcement, so Wakanda will once again factor into the story. And I'm sure that Marvel fans will feel the late actor's absence, especially after he had such memorable roles in Infinity War and Doomsday.
All will be revealed when Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on December 18th as part of the 2026 movie release list.
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