Marvel has confirmed that Chadwick Boseman will not be recast in the upcoming Black Panther 2. After the actor’s tragic death earlier this year, the status of the sequel was thrown into some doubt – but at its Investor’s Day, Disney made it clear that Boseman’s King T'Challa will not be replaced in the new film.
“Honouring Chadwick Boseman’s legacy and portrayal of T’Challa, the Black Panther, Marvel Studios will not recast the character, but will continue to explore the incomparable world of Wakanda and all of the rich and varied characters introduced in the first film,” the studio has said.
Ryan Coogler, who wrote and directed the first Black Panther film, will also helm the sequel, and is penning the script. The Black Panther 2 release date has also been set for July 8, 2022.
There's been plenty of speculation if Letitia Wright’s Shuri would take up her brother’s superhero mantle, with an MCU book potentially hinting at the possibility. It’s also entirely believable that the sequel won’t feature a successor to the Black Panther name at all, instead, as the statement suggests, focusing on characters like Danai Gurira’s Okoye and Lupita Nyong’o’s Nakia.
This was far from the only news to drop last night. In fact, Disney announced a massive slate of upcoming releases – including 10 new Star Wars TV shows and another 10 new Marvel series. Among the announcements was a live-action Ahsoka Tano series with Rosario Dawson reprising her role of the eponymous former-Jedi, as well as official confirmation of Tatiana Maslany starring in She-Hulk.
The next Marvel release will be WandaVision in January 2021. Until then, check out our guide to everything we know about Marvel Phase 4.
