The role of King T’Challa will not be played by another actor in the upcoming film Black Panther 2 in order to honor the legacy of actor Chadwick Boseman, who played the Wakandan king in the first film before his death at 43 in August after a private battle with colon cancer.
Disney announced during the Marvel Studios presentation on Disney Investor Day on Thursday that there would be no recasting the role, saying instead, the sequel would “explore the world of Wakanda,” the fictional country in which the first film was based and over which T’Challa ruled. Marvel also said Black Panther 2 will premiere on July 8, 2022 and will be written and directed by Ryan Coogler, who also directed the first film.
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Black Panther 2, opening July 8, 2022, is being written & directed by Ryan Coogler. Honoring Chadwick Boseman’s legacy & portrayal of T’Challa, @MarvelStudios will not recast the character, but will explore the world of Wakanda & the rich characters introduced in the first film.
— Disney (@Disney) December 11, 2020
Marvel boss Kevin Feige acknowledged the “devastating loss” of Boseman during Thursday’s presentation as well. “Chadwick Boseman was an immensely talented actor and an inspirational individual who affected all of our lives professionally and personally,” Feige said. “His portrayal of T’Challa the Black Panther is iconic and transcends iteration of the character in any other medium from Marvel’s past.” He continued, “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.”
Black Panther 2 executive producer Victoria Alonso also confirmed to Argentinian newspaper Clarín last month that Boseman would not be digitally recreated with CGI technology for the movie, which would address T’Challa’s death in some way.
“No. There’s only one Chadwick, and he’s no longer with us,” Alonso said at the time. “Sadly, our king has died in real life, not only in fiction, and we’re taking a little time to see how we continue the story and how to honor this chapter of what has unexpectedly happened to us, so painful and terrible to be honest. Chadwick wasn’t only a wonderful human being, every day of the 5 years we spent together, but also, I believe, that what he did as a character elevated us as a company, and has left his moment on history.”
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NEW YORK CITY – DECEMBER 19: "Toil and Trouble" – Elsbeth is thrown into the world of television after the showrunner of a long-running police procedural is brutally murdered in his office, and although it appears to be the act of a disgruntled fan, she begins to suspect the show's longtime star Regina Coburn (Laurie Metcalf) who yearns for artistic fulfillment. Meanwhile, Judge Crawford (Michael Emerson) continues to be a thorn in Elsbeth's side, on the CBS original series ELSBETH, Thursday, Dec. 19 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and streaming on Paramount+ (live and on demand for Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers, or on demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the episode airs). Pictured (L-R): Carrie Preston as Elsbeth Tascioni and Carra Patterson as Kaya Blanke. (Photo by Michael Parmelee/CBS via Getty Images)
