When Marvel Studios brought part of its upcoming slate to Comic-Con in San Diego for a spectacular presentation in Hall H, countless fans wondered how the late “Black Panther” star Chadwick Bozeman would be honored in the material for the anticipated sequel. The released trailer has a mournful tone, and you can briefly see a mural depicting Bozeman’s heroic character, T’Challa. But the trailer continues to tell about the larger plot twists that can be found in Ryan Coogler’s film “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” including Namor the submariner (played by Tenoch Huerta) and the conflict between Wakanda and the Atlanteans. That’s not to say that Bozeman’s absence wasn’t felt on the set of “Wakanda Forever,” and “Black Panther” co-star Winston Duke had something to say to CinemaBlend about his late colleague.
Chadwick Boseman was ill for many years before finally succumbing to colon cancer in 2020. His loss has left a huge hole in the film industry, and the Black Panther franchise has figured out how to move forward without its face. We still don’t know who will be wearing the Black Panther costume when Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is released in November, but we better understand the difficulties of filming a sequel without Bozeman. Winston Duke spoke with CinemaBlend during Comic-Con in San Diego and talked about Marvel’s life after Bozeman’s death, explaining:
The first week (on) the set was really unpleasant. Chadwick’s absence personally was incredibly profound and powerful. He’s one of those people who never needed attention. So when it is very present, it never takes up much space. But his seriousness had no limits. If you know what I mean? It was everywhere. So the absence of this person there, physically, was a gaping hole, and, frankly, we had a lot of grief on set.
Very few franchises lost their main actors while the series was still thriving. The actors were replaced and the stories drifted. But the Marvel cinematic universe continues to be a giant, and Ryan Coogler’s “Black Panther” still stands out as one of the best parts of the entire canon, and Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa has earned the nickname of the MCU’s favorite superhero for countless fans. The loss of the actor was huge for many reasons. He was so young. He still had a lot to do creatively. We can say that he was just starting out, after earning respect in the industry, playing Jackie Robinson (42 years old), James Brown (Get On Up) and a significant role in Spike Lee’s film “Five Bloods”. His professional future was so bright.
How Wakanda Forever will cope with the transition to the new Black Panther, we will find out in November. Watch the trailer while you wait.
Meanwhile, Marvel also revealed all the content that will appear for fans in Phase 5, and gave a hint of what will be in Phase 6, including two “Avengers” films. We expect even more to be announced at D23 in September, so stay tuned for the latest MCU news as it comes.