Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is set to be one of the most emotional Marvel Studios films to date. A lot of that has to do with the real-life circumstances behind it; the loss of Chadwick Boseman hit the world like a train, and the world's a little darker without him.
Alas, the Marvel show must go on. While T'Challa's future in the MCU may have come to a sudden end, Wakanda will live on and its people will carry the story forward so the world doesn't lose the magic that Black Panther brought to it.
The sequel only just went into production a few months ago, with Letitia Wright returning as Shuri and Danai Gurira as Okoye—alongside most of the cast from the original film. Joining this time around is Dominique Thorne, who will play Riri Williams, aka Iron Heart.
Making the film is sure to be an emotional experience, something that the film's producer was able to comment on.
Black Panther 2 Producer on Honoring Chadwick Boseman
At the blue carpet premiere of Eternals in Los Angeles, Variety was on hand to speak with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever producer Nate Moore about the upcoming sequel.
When it comes to the film, Moore knows that "[they] have big shoes to fill," but that they are "up to the challenge:"
"You know we're shooting in Atlanta, and it's going really well. Ryan Coogler's back and he's fantastic and the crew is back and we know we have big shoes to fill and we just wanna bring a film. Hopefully, people can respond to and be entertained by and get some catharsis by spending time with. That's a tall order, but we wanna be up to the challenge."
When pressed about whether or not the cast and crew did anything to honor the late Chadwick Boseman while filming, the film's producer says that "the biggest honor is to maintain that story of Wakanda:"
"... In their own ways, and sort of in personal and private ways, but the truth is the biggest honor is to maintain that story of Wakanda that Chad knew, I think before any of us, how important it could be for people. So it's our job to keep that spirit alive so that the kids can continue to find that world and find themselves in that world.
After being asked about the recent delay to the Black Panther sequel, Moore stated that it "just gives us more time to get it right."
Honoring Boseman With Wakanda
The loss of Chadwick Boseman had a profound effect on those that knew him. Ryan Coogler even admitted that creating Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has been one of the hardest things he's ever had to do.
Fans shouldn't be worried, however. Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige seems very confident the story they have crafted is one that will honor Boseman and is a project which would have made the late actor proud. And now with extra time allotted for production, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever's cast and crew should have enough time to ensure that the project is a satisfying experience for fans and respectful to Boseman's legacy.
Details on where exactly the story will go in the sequel aren't known. Plenty of rumors point to the introduction of Namor and Atlantis, but how that may intertwine with Wakanda and Iron Heart, is a mystery that remains unsolved.
Sadly, fans will have to wait a little bit longer to see what their next visit to Wakanda will entail, as Marvel just announced several delays for their upcoming slate of films, which includes Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The film will now bow in theaters worldwide on November 11, 2022, four months later than the original date in July.
