Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has confirmed that Black Panther 2 will not feature CGI footage of Chadwick Boseman after the actor’s death last year.
During an interview to promote Disney Plus seriesWandaVision with Deadline, Feige talked about his decision not to recast another actor in the role of T’Challa for Black Panther 2 following Boseman’s death. He also confirmed that the franchise will explore more with the characters and the world of Wakanda.
“So much of the comics and that first movie is the world of Wakanda,” Feige told Deadline. “Wakanda is a place to further explore with characters and different subcultures. This was always and initially the primary focus of the next story.
“We’re not going to have a CG Chadwick and we’re not recasting T’Challa. Ryan Coogler is working very hard right now on the script with all the respect and love and genius that he has, which gives us great solace, so it was always about furthering the mythology and the inspiration of Wakanda,” Fiege added. “There’s also the task of honoring and respecting the ongoing learnings and teachings from Chad as well.”
Last month, Feige confirmed Disney’s decision not to recast Boseman’s leading character T’Challa during 2020’s annual Disney’s Investor Day live stream. The beloved actor died following a long private battle with colon cancer.
“I wanted to acknowledge the devastating loss of a dear friend and member of the Marvel Studios family,” Feige said during the live stream. “Chadwick Boseman was an immensely talented actor and an inspirational individual who affected all of our lives professionally and personally. His portrayal of T’Challa the Black Panther is iconic and transcends iteration of the character in any other medium from Marvel’s past.
“It’s for that reason that we will not recast the character. However, to honor the legacy that Chad helped us build through his portrayal of the king of Wakanda, we want to continue to explore the world of Wakanda and all of the rich and varied characters introduced in the first film. Writer/director Ryan Coogler is hard at work on the sequel now, and we’ll bring the film to you in theaters.”
At the end of last year, Disney announced that Black Panther 2 will open July 8, 2022, and is being written and directed by Coogler.
Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, Lupita Nyong’o, and Angela Bassett will return to the film.