Black Panther 2 star Lupita Nyong'o says Ryan Coogler re-shaped the sequel after Chadwick Boseman passed

News
By published

The sequel will be "respectful of the loss we've all experienced", says Nyong'o

Lupita Nyong'o and Chadwick Boseman in Black Panther
(Image credit: Disney)

Ryan Coogler "reshaped" Black Panther 2 so that it is "respectful of the loss" of Chadwick Boseman, as sequel star Lupita Nyong'o recently told Yahoo . 

During a chat about her YouTube Kids animated series Super Sema, Nyong'o was asked about Black Panther 2, which will soon go into production. Chadwick Boseman, who portrays the king of Wakanda and the Black Panther, T'Challa, passed away in August 2020 following a battle with colon cancer. "His passing is still extremely raw for me," Nyong'o says. "And I can't even begin to imagine what it will be like to step on set and not have him there."

Nyong'o says director Ryan Coogler has accounted for how difficult this process will be, both for the actors involved and for Boseman's legacy. "We have a leader in Ryan, who feels very much like we do, who feels the loss in a very, very real way as well," she says. "And his idea, the way which he has reshaped the second movie is so respectful of the loss we’ve all experienced as a cast and as a world. So it feels spiritually and emotionally correct to do this.

"And hopefully, what I do look forward to, is getting back together and honoring what he started with us and holding his light through it," he added. "Because he left us a lot of light that we’re still going to be bathing in. I know that for sure."

Remembering Chadwick Boseman, an actor who brought everything to the screen. 

Alyssa Mercante
Alyssa Mercante

Alyssa Mercante used to be a features writer at GamesRadar and is now a freelance writer and editor. Prior to entering the industry, she got her Masters's degree in Modern and Contemporary Literature at Newcastle University with a dissertation focusing on contemporary indie games. She spends most of her time playing competitive shooters and in-depth RPGs and was recently on a PAX Panel about the best bars in video games. In her spare time Alyssa rescues cats, practices her Italian, and plays soccer.