There's a lot going on in the Marvel Cinematic Universe right now, as Phase Four of the MCU kicked off earlier this year with WandaVision. A number of new Disney+ series and major films are also in various stages of production as well. Even so, maybe the source of the most speculation has been Black Panther: Wakanda Forever or Black Panther 2. This speculation, of course, stems from the untimely death of its lead, Chadwick Boseman, and his loss is still pretty raw for the actor's loved ones and fans. The loss of the star is crippling in so many ways, but the sequel seems to be moving along. Now, we have a new update from Martin Freeman, who has read the script for Wakanda Forever.
In Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Sherlock star Martin Freeman will be reprising his MCU role of Everett K. Ross, a character he played in the first Black Panther film and Captain America: Civil War. It’s unclear in what capacity he will appear in Black Panther 2, but he's already getting prepared to shoot the movie. In an interview with BBC’s The One Show (via Metro), Freeman shared his thoughts on writer-director Ryan Coogler's screenplay and teased when filming will begin. Here’s what the actor says, in his own words:
I’ve read the script. It’s very good and we will be doing it at some point I guess in the next several months, I’ll be going to the States and doing that. But I’m very excited about it, yeah.
Martin Freeman may be excited, but it’s probably nothing compared to Marvel fans who are ready to return to Wakanda. Black Panther made a serious splash when it released a little over three years ago, and fans were patiently waiting for a sequel ever since they were first introduced to the technologically advanced nation. Chadwick Boseman's passing pushed production back a bit, as the creatives took time to sit with their thoughts and figure out how to best handle the loss of the lead actor.
Even though everyone involved in the sequel is pretty much sworn to secrecy about what to expect from the film, Freeman says he’ll be flying to the US in the next couple of months to begin shooting. This is great news for fans, as it seems a lot of the kinks have been worked out and shooting is right on track.
We already know Marvel Studios is not recasting Boseman's T'Challa, and we will not see any new footage of him via CGI, either. Despite the lack of details, we at least know the ball is seriously rolling on the film. It's also good to know the all-star cast is up on the content of the script and that they appear to be happy with it.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is currently set to release on July 8, 2022.
