Marvel Studios is about to dive into the deep end in terms of producing and releasing content throughout the rest of 2021 and beyond.
While in-universe project releases will take a small hiatus between the end of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and the beginning of Loki , MCU fans can look forward to a jam-packed six months with releases for four movies and three Disney+ shows. This is on top of more than a handful of other movies and shows that are still deep into shooting and prepping for debuts in 2022 and later.
One of these is the highly-anticipated Black Panther 2 , which will also serve as a sendoff and memorial for starring actor Chadwick Boseman. After the late T'Challa actor passed away in August 2020, Marvel Studios and all of its crew have spent most of the past eight months paying tribute to Boseman in any way possible .
This is continuing to be the case on screen, although his latest tribute comes outside of Marvel and Disney...
OPRAH PAYS RESPCTS TO THE WAKANDA KING
In the latest episode of the OWN-produced Queen Sugar , program creator Ava Duvernay included a scene with a Marvel Legends figurine of Chadwick Boseman's Black Panther.
Korfi Siriboe and Ethan Hutchinson's characters touched on Boseman's legacy, with Siriboe confirming that "He ain’t gone, Blue. That’s a mighty man. His spirit is gonna live forever." Both end the scene with the "Wakanda Forever" signal seen originally in Marvel Studios' Black Panther .
Duvernay shared this scene on Twitter, referring to the friendship between Disney head Bob Iger and Oprah Winfrey along with the relationship between Duvernay and Black Panther director Ryan Coogler as the reasons for the tribute coming together.
DuVernay mentioned that the scene "took the strength of two friendships." The full tweet can be seen below:
To show the BLACK PANTHER doll on “Queen Sugar” last night took the strength of two friendships. That of our network founder and the head of the studio that made the film. And my own with the film’s director. Thanks to all who touched this scene. “That’s a good place for a king.” pic.twitter.com/3XzD8LmYMk
WAKANDA AND CHADWICK BOSEMAN FOREVER
Boseman's passing has been a difficult subject to breach since it happened last August. Tributes to his memory have been pouring in the entire time not only from those at Marvel Studios, but across the landscape of the entertainment industry as well.
Oprah Winfrey has spoken many times on Boseman's impact through the industry, and it's likely that this episode has been in the works for some time before its network debut. Even in another fictional TV universe, Duvernay and Winfrey wanted to make sure Boseman's memory lived on, especially in the role that shot him into superstardom worldwide.
Boseman's legacy will live on in Marvel Studios' Black Panther 2 , which will release in theaters on July 8, 2022. Boseman's final performance in the MCU will be in Marvel Studios' What If...? , premiering on Disney+ this summer.
