Following the death of Chadwick Boseman on August 28, 2020, speculation unfolded over whether or not T’Challa would be recast for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. By the end of that year, it was confirmed that a new actor not take over the role Boseman played in four Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, and the following month, it was also made clear the character wouldn’t be recreated digitally. Well, it turns out that this decision extends to the rest of the MCU as well, and there’s a good reason why we won’t ever see T’Challa again in the superhero franchise.
It Didn't Take Long To Rule Out Seeing T'Challa In The MCU Again
Marvel Studios producer Nate Moore recently stopped by The Ringer to talk about Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and other MCU movies he’s had a hand in developing, like Eternals and Blade. When asked about what it’s like handling T’Challa moving forward, specifically balancing the loyalty to his fanbase and the actor who played him with the future of the Black Panther/Wakanda-centric corner of the MCU, Moore answered:
You will not see T’Challa in the MCU/616 universe. We couldn't do it. When Chad passed, it was a real conversation we had with [Ryan] Coogler about, 'What do we do?' It was a fast conversation. It wasn't weeks. It was minutes of we have to figure out how to move that franchise on without that character because I think we all feel so much of T’Challa in the MCU on the screen, not in comics, is tied to Chadwick’s performance, is what he brought to that role both on and off screen, I would argue.
So rather than T’Challa sitting out Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and then being played by another actor later on in the MCU, Avengers: Endgame will mark the last time we ever see this version of the character. It didn’t take long for Nate Moore, director/writer Ryan Coogler and the rest of the Wakanda Forever team to decided that because Chadwick Boseman had done so well as T’Challa, it didn’t feel appropriate bringing someone new to fill the late actor’s shoes.
A T-Challa-less Black Panther 2 Provided A Unique Narrative Challenge
As such, someone else will take over the Black Panther mantle for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and while Marvel hasn’t revealed yet who that someone will be, the logical assumption has been it will be Letitia Wright’s Shuri, T’Challa’s sister who was briefly Black Panther in the comics. It’s also unclear how T’Challa’s fate will be addressed in the sequel, but Nate Moore added that the character’s absence required the filmmakers to think outside the box to deliver a compelling story for moviegoers. In his words:
So as hard as it is narratively to figure out what to do, because that’s a big hole, at no point did we consider recasting. So the challenge for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is telling a story without T'Challa. And I think it’s a challenge we’re up for, and obviously we’re in the middle of it and we’re figuring it out, and so far I think what we’re getting is great, but the challenge of the movie, I think, is to entertain people, but there will be a level of I think catharsis in people coming back to this universe without that guy, because that guy and that universe, to me, are one and the same. So as filmmakers and storytellers, you have to figure out how people are gonna feel going into your movie and what you want that movie to say about that guy who’s not going to be in the movie.
Along with Letitia Wright, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’s other familiar faces will include Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Winston Duke, Angela Bassett and Martin Freeman, and Dominque Thorne will also debut as Riri Williams ahead of leading Disney+’s Ironheart series. I May Destroy You creator/star Michaela Cole has been cast in an undisclosed role, and it was once rumored that Narcos: Mexico actor Tenoch Huerta came aboard to play Namor the Sub-Mariner. Earlier this month, production shut down reportedly due to Wright still recovering from an injury she suffered back in late August.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is now set to arrive on November 11, 2022. Our upcoming Marvel movies guide is available to those of you curious about what else the MCU is prepping for theaters, and you can watch most of the past MCU movies on Disney+.
