Black Panther 2: How Marvel will approach sequel without Chadwick Boseman

Sequel is due to begin production in July for a 2022 release

Marvel boss Kevin Feige has discussed how the studio will approach Black Panther 2 following Chadwick Boseman’s death.

Boseman – who starred as the beloved Wakanda leader T’Challa in the Marvel Cinematic Universe – died of colon cancer last year aged 43.

Following the star’s death, questions have been raised by fans on how the studio will approach the forthcoming Black Panther sequel, after Marvel Studios president Feige called Boseman’s death “by far the most personal loss ever within the MCU”.

It was previously announced that the sequel, which is slated for a 2022 release, would not feature T’Challa’s character., with Disney confirming that the role would neither be recast nor digitally re-created.

In a recent interview, Feige told Yahoo Entertainment that that the film’s writer and director Ryan Coogler is “hard at work, and continuing that legacy is job number one for us”.

Feige did not confirm or deny reports speculating that Letitia Wright could have an expanded role in the new film (Marvel)

“It’s extremely challenging [to make Black Panther 2 without T’Challa], but it’s the job ahead. And it’s what Ryan is thinking about,” said Feige.

“The world of Wakanda is now revered around the world, thanks in large part to [Boseman], [and] deserves to live on, and that’s what Coogler is focused on.”

Feige did not confirm or deny reports speculating that Boseman’s co-star Letitia Wright (who played T’Challa’s tech-savvy sister Shuri) could have an expanded role in the new film. 

Feige went on to state that the sequel, which is set to begin production in July, “will explore the world of Wakanda and the rich characters introduced in the first film”.

The Marvel boss also revealed that before his death, Boseman had recorded audio for three episodes of the forthcoming Disney+ Marvel animated series What If?

Feige may therefore be suggesting that Black Panther 2 could use soundbites from the recordings in order to incorporate T’Challa’s departure into the storyline of Black Panther 2.

Speaking about Boseman’s legacy, Feige stated: “Every interaction I had with him was amazing. They become all the more amazing when you realise what he was personally going through.”

Boseman’s final film role came in the film adaptation of August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, which was released on Netflix in December last year.