Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige opens up on why they didn't recast T'Challa in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Phase Four will officially come to an end this year with perhaps the most bittersweet Marvel Cinematic Universe film in a very long time. While the Black Panther franchise is going forward, the sequel will sadly be without its leading star after the tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman in August 2020. The 43-year-old actor died from colon cancer, a condition he kept private before passing away over two years ago.
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In Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the story follows T'Challa's family having to go on without him, as Marvel Studios confirmed that the Wakandan king has passed away in the MCU. Exactly how T'Challa died has yet to be revealed, with Marvel Studios keeping that plot point under wraps. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will see T'Challa's loved ones and allies fighting for their nation, as the first teaser trailer implied that something is threatening their kingdom. The Black Panther sequel will also see the MCU arrival of Namor, played by Tenoch Huerta.
Before Black Panther: Wakanda Forever even went into production, Marvel Studios had made it clear that they would not recast T'Challa out of respect for Boseman. In an interview with Empire Online, Feige addressed the studio's decision not to have a new actor take over for Boseman. To Feige, "it just felt it was much too soon" to consider anyone else playing T'Challa after what Boseman brought to the table in the role, sharing the following.
"It just felt like it was much too soon to recast. Stan Lee always said that Marvel represents the world outside your window. And we had talked about how, as extraordinary and fantastical as our characters and stories are, there’s a relatable and human element to everything we do. The world is still processing the loss of Chad. And Ryan poured that into the story. The conversations were entirely about, yes, ‘What do we do next?’ And how could the legacy of Chadwick – and what he had done to help Wakanda and the Black Panther become these incredible, aspirational, iconic ideas – continue?”
The MCU Is Already Moving On With A New Black Panther
While T'Challa will have passed away by the time the plot picks up in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the mantle will be taken over by someone else. Even though the identity wasn't revealed, a new Black Panther appeared at the end of the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever teaser trailer. Despite Marvel Studios attempting to keep it a secret, it has already been suggested that Shuri will be the one to take over for T'Challa, including leaked images of upcoming LEGO sets. Given Shuri's comic history, where she even became Black Panther at one point, it feels safe to say that this is the direction Marvel Studios are going with for the franchise's future.
The only other way that the MCU may ever see a new T'Challa is if they decide to go the Multiverse route and have a variant come into play. But at this point, since Boseman became synonymous with T'Challa, the idea of a variant would also pull too many heartstrings. For a lot of reasons, it's better to move on without T'Challa, especially since Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is already passing the title on to someone else in the MCU. As emotional as it will be to see Black Panther: Wakanda Forever paying tribute to Boseman, Feige and Marvel Studios did the right call not to recast T'Challa in the upcoming sequel.