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The Marvel Cinematic Universe is an ever expanding place, and the droves of fans are eager to dive back in with Phase Four. One of the highly anticipated projects coming down the line is Ryan Coogler's Black Panther 2, although Chadwick Boseman's unexpected death leaves plenty of questions regarding how the sequel will come together. One Marvel exec was recently asked about the possibility of digitally bringing the late actor back, and gave some bunt thoughts about that concept.
There have been some major technological breakthroughs over the past few years regarding both motion capture and visual effects. After Carrie Fisher passed away in 2016, unused footage from Star Wars: The Force Awakens was used to bring the character back for The Rise of Skywalker. Marvel exec Victoria Alonso was recently asked if this was something the studio was considering for Black Panther following the death of Chadwick Boseman, to which he said:
No. There's only one Chadwick, and he's not with us. Our king, unfortunately, has died in real life, not just in fiction, and we are taking a little time to see how we return to history and what we do to honor this chapter of what has happened to us that was so unexpected , so painful, so terrible, really. Because Chadwick was not only a wonder of being human every day that we spend together the five years that we spend together, but it also seems to me that as a character what he did elevated us as a company, and has left his moment in history. I know that sometimes two months go by or three months go by in production and one says, already, it was a long time. But it is not a long time, we have to think carefully about what we are going to do, and how, and think about how we are going to honor the franchise.
Well, that was honest. It looks like Marvel Studios has no intention of digitally bringing back the late Chadwick Boseman for Black Panther's highly anticipated sequel. While there's been no indication as to how Ryan Coogler will proceed with the project given the Get On Up actor's death, it's clear that the second movie set in Wakanda won't be using CGI to include Boseman.
Victoria Alonsa's comments to Clarin is sure to elicit a strong reaction from Marvel fans, who are left wondering how Black Panther will continue without its title character. Because while moviegoers would no doubt love to see Chadwick Boseman as T'Challa for one last appearance, resurrecting him via visual effects would no doubt be a controversial choice. And it seems the studio has no interest in going this route.
Marvel fans can re-watch Chadwick Boseman's tenure in the MCU on Disney+. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.
With digitally bringing Chadwick Boseman back for Black Panther 2 ruled out by the powers at Marvel, the developing sequel will seemingly have little to no T'Challa altogether. While flashbacks will likely inform the story, it's clear that Ryan Coogler's sophomore MCU movie will have to focus on an entirely new protagonist. We'll just have to wait and see who that might be.
Perhaps the most popular fan theory regarding the future of Black Panther is that Letitia Wright's Shuri will end up taking the mantle of the Wakdandan superhero. This has some precedent in the comics, and Shuri has quickly become a very popular character in the greater MCU. What's more, Marvel books have revealed that the young genius had been trying to revive the heart-shaped herb which gives Panthers their power.
As for Letitia Wright, she previously revealed that it's simply too soon for the cast and crew of Black Panther to consider how the franchise will move on without Chadwick Boseman. They're all still grieving at this point, rather than thinking about the implications of the MCU. So the fandom will have to patiently wait for any official updates from Ryan Coogler and company.
The next installment in the MCU is Black Widow on May 7th, 2021. In the meantime, check out our 2021 release list to plan your trips to the movies next year.
