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It’s been a few years since the groundbreaking, nearly all Black Marvel film was released and became a huge box office and cultural success. But since then, the lead of Black Panther Chadwick Boseman has tragically passed away, and his loss is one that has been felt by many and is still very raw. As the cast and crew reassembles to prepare for Black Panther 2, Boseman’s guaranteed absence hangs heavy in the air, and his co-star and friend Lupita Nyong’o spoke about how the sequel has been “reshaped” to honor Chadwick and his legacy.
As the time for filming Black Panther 2 is steadily approaching, an otherwise happy beginning can’t help but be darkened by Chadwick Boseman’s loss. We already know Boseman will not be replaced in the upcoming Black Panther sequel, because his shoes are no one’s to fill, not even by a digital CGI likeness. In an interview with Yahoo! Entertainment, Lupita Nyong’o explains how director Ryan Coogler plans to reshape the sequel to fit Boseman’s absence and honor him as the Wakandan King he portrayed and the one true Black Panther. In her words,
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. Because he left us a lot of light that we’re still going to be bathing in. I know that for sure.
Ryan Coogler, who also directed the first Black Panther, is determined to pay tribute to Chadwick Boseman throughout the sequel. And although he physically will not be there, we are sure to see his impact and spirit in the sequel. Boseman was held in such high regard from the cast and crew of Black Panther, that we can infer they will all work to honor him as they go forward with the sequel. The various tributes that have come over the past months have shown his peers' loyalty to to the late actor.
Chadwick Boseman's time in the MCU is currently available on Disney+. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.
That light that Lupita Nyong’o speaks of in regards to Chadwick Boseman doesn't just apply to the way Boseman was with the cast and crew of Black Panther, but it’s one that has been seen and noted by a number of people who have worked with Boseman. Even though he had a private battle with colon cancer while working on his latest credits, he is clearly remembered as a talent that was full of life. In fact, he had full intention of filming the Black Panther sequel up until about a week before his passing.
Although Ryan Coogler has said the loss of Chadwick Boseman is a gaping hole and filming Black Panther 2 just won't be the same without him. However, as a fan, it’s great to hear that efforts to honor Boseman will be of the highest caliber and the sequel will not simply move on without that experience.. For Lupita Nyong’o and other cast members, it will likely be an emotional set.
