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Chadwick Boseman’s untimely passing left a huge hole in the MCU. With Black Panther serving as a major pillar in Phase Three, losing the actor spelled a sense of uncertainty. But a year after his passing, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is moving ahead courtesy of Kevin Feige and the Marvel team. There still has been some doubt over Black Panther’s future, but Feige isn’t worried like others are. With filming for the sequel commenced, the Marvel head spoke on the "remarkable" new vision set for the sequel following the actor’s death.
Being the steward of the MCU, Kevin Feige usually has everything mapped out. But losing Chadwick Boseman before Black Panther 2 wasn’t part of Phase Four’s plan. Like any great visionary, he along with everyone involved decided to push forward with the sequel. The Marvel head honcho said about the sequel’s pivot after the actor’s death:
I will say that Ryan and our producer Nate Moore, and the entire cast and our co-writer Joe Robert Cole, have done some remarkable things in the story, in the draft. The team is assembling once again, and cameras roll in the not-too-distant future on that. It will be extremely emotional across the board, but I think they have something very special in mind.
Chadwick Boseman’s death would’ve stalled another franchise, but Kevin Feige reassured Black Panther fans about the sequel’s prospects. Although as Feige pointed out, returning to the franchise without Boseman will be an emotional affair for everyone. If anyone could figure how to move forward with Boseman, it would be Feige and the team at Marvel. While it will be hard to see the sequel without the late actor, I’m sure Ryan Coogler and the Black Panther 2 team will handle everything respectfully. But Feige wasn’t done revealing how Boseman’s passing affected the film.
While speaking with Rotten Tomatoes, the Marvel CEO delved more into the emotional turmoil over losing Chadwick Boseman. Kevin Feige recalled not even thinking about the upcoming sequel but the actor's family and legacy after his death. Feige revealed how Ryan Coogler will set the pace for Black Panther 2 after Boseman’s unexpected passing.
Our first thought, for many weeks afterwards, had nothing to do with the movie. It had to do with him and his family and his wife and his legacy. And really, we were looking to Ryan Coogler for guidance as one, frankly, always should about almost everything in life.
Feige’s words painted a studio that was more concerned about grieving Chadwick Boseman’s loss rather than the next Black Panther film. Losing the star would cause another studio to scramble. At least, Kevin Feige has enough faith in Ryan Coolger’s vision to know the sequel will worth it. Fans can feel relieved for now despite the multiple script revisions. With that in mind, moviegoers will have to see the results once Black Panther: Wakanda Forever arrives in theaters on July 8, 2022.
