The Black Panther Sequel: Moving on From Chadwick Boseman.
After the death of Chadwick Boseman in August of 2020, It was unclear what would happened to the planned Black Panther sequel. Prior to his death, Boseman was set to reprise his role in the Sequel. If there was a sequel, how would they address his passing? Who would take up the mantle of Black Panther?
Obviously, no one was in a rush to replace the late great Boseman and not many could live up to what he did for that character. So, there in lies the problem: how does Marvel proceed with a best selling film but also honor Boseman?
First and foremost, Marvel has released the title of the sequel, entitled Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The title is a nod to honoring Chadwick’s character but also putting the focus to Wakanda, which will be explored more in-depth.
Marvel officially announced, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will delve further into the extraordinary world of Wakanda and the diverse and captivating characters introduced in the first film.””
Who will take on the Black Panther Mantle?
T’challa’s sister, Shuri. Letitia Wright returns as Shuri in the sequel.
Honestly, this was a great move by Marvel. Marvel and Ryan Coogler were adamant that they did not want to recast or digitally double Boseman’s T’Challa character. Naturally, there was only one person who could encapsulate this role and pay homage to Boseman’s Black Panther. Choosing Shuri takes care of both and brings forth the emotional element, naturally. Accordingly, this storyline opens the door to explore traditions from wakanda in dealing with the loss of T’Challa.
Additionally, Shuri becoming Black Panther gives us a strong female hero and follows up nicely with Captain Marvel. In Avenger’s Endgame, the viewer already got a glipse at how truly bada** the Wakanda warriors were and the strength behind these marvelous women. Fortunately, Endgame also certified Shuri’s skills and ingenuity. Wright’s Shuri will make a great Black Panther.
Michael B. Jordan will also return, alongside most of the cast reprising their roles.
A Shuri, Stand-alone, Comic Series to Coincide in with the Film’s Release.
The new comic series will be penned by Nigerian-American author, Nnedi Okorafor. Excited to be a part of this new project, Okorafor tweeted the news on Tuesday. Okorafor’s previous sci-fi novel Who Fears Death is being adapted into an HBO series. But, it is important to note that she has worked on the Black Panther: Long Live the King and Wakanda Forever series. So, this is a natural fit that will produce a great comic series to inspire young girl readers.
💥Announcement: I'm writing Shuri. 🤓
"Black Panther's Sister Shuri Is Getting Her Own Comic Book Series & It's Happening So, So Soon" https://t.co/UkkQYGQci8 pic.twitter.com/bKximMptiD
— Nnedi Okorafor, PhD🕷️ (@Nnedi) July 17, 2018
Okorafor told Bustle, ” [I am] excited to tell Shuri’s story in the new series. Shuri is a brilliant young African woman with a passion for technology. She has delved into the depths of the past through spiritual journeys, witnessing the pre-Wakanda era.
Disney + TV Series based on Wakanda,
Kingdom of Wakanda
Excitedly, with the success of Black Panther, and anticipated sequel, news of a TV show spinoff on Disney + was released. Ryan Coogler expressed his enthusiasm for the Wakanda-centric show, mentioning, “We’re thrilled to collaborate with Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, and the Marvel Studios team. We’ll be closely working with them on chosen MCU shows for Disney+. We’re already involved in some exciting projects that we can’t wait to unveil.”
The show will be a five-year, exclusive television deal the Walt Disney Co. to stream on it’s streaming platform, DIsney +. At this time, no further details or release date given.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will release in July 8, 2022.
