The Marvel Cinematic Universe is consistently expanding, thanks to projects arriving in theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. But fans who have spent years watching the Marvel moves in order know certain franchises rise to the top as fan favorites. Chief among them is Black Panther, and director Ryan Coogler recently reflected on Chadwick Boseman's legacy, and revealed which member of the Black Panther cast was the most affected by the late actor's passing.
Chadwick Boseman's death in 2020 shocked both his fans and those who knew and worked with the talented actor. Coogler reworked Wakanda Forever to honor Boseman, and during an appearance on The Breakfast Club, the acclaimed filmmaker revealed which Black Panther star struggled the most with Boseman's passing. He shared:
Out of all of my actors, Chad's death actually hit Mike (Jordan) the hardest.
While plenty of the Black Panther cast has expressed their love and sense of mourning over Boseman (see Lupita Nyong'o's sweet tribute), Coogler's recollection is that his Creed collaborator was hit hard by his co-star's sudden death. It seems like they formed a strong bond bringing T'Challa and Killmonger's stories to life in the 2018 original film.
In that same conversation, Ryan Coogler explained the way that Chadwick Boseman stood out from he and Michael. B. Jordan. He offered:
Chad was older than us, he was quite a bit older than us, even though he looked like he was the same age. He was a fully baked man from the South. He was an old school man's man and compared to that dude when we worked together bro, me and Mike was kids.
Boseman was universally loved by those who knew him, as well as young MCU fans who saw him as a real-life hero. It's still upsetting that he won't appear in upcoming Marvel movies, although his legacy continued to be felt in the shared universe. Coogler shared more about what it was like working with the Marshall actor, saying:
He was the kind of teacher who you never knew you was getting a lesson when he taught. It was all by example and what he gave me and Michael was patience. He moved at an old-school pace and he took his time [but] he was always early. He was that type of dude. And Mike will tell you this, I told him man, I said, 'Hey bro, what would Chad do in this role? If he had this role what would he do?' 'Cause Chad never broke action.
What a legend. Despite the years that have passed since his passing, it sounds like fans and friends alike are still in the process of grieving what Boseman left behind. And it's because of this reason that fans are still debating if T'Challa should be recast in the MCU.
The next MCU movie hitting theaters is Thunderbolts* on May 2nd as part of the 2025 movie release list. We'll have to wait for news about the future of Black Panther.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
