The death of Chadwick Boseman struck all of Hollywood by surprise and left Marvel Studios in a bit of a lurch as it was planning for Black Panther 2. Since then the question of what the MCU would do with the character has drifted in and out of the conversation, but today Kevin Feige, head of the studio, confirmed that they would not be recasting the character for Black Panther 2.
The news came during Disney’s prolific earnings call where they dropped a metric ton of information on new series and shows. Feige spoke during the call and revealed that while Black Panther will not be recast, the film will pay homage to both the character and the actor while being about many of the other characters who appeared in the first film. Just who those characters are was left unsaid, but rumors have indicated that the focus could be on T’Challa’s sister, Shuri.
The world-building in Black Panther was rich and deep and the characters all stood on their own, so it will be exciting to see how they unpack the next film without its star.
Ryan Coogler is still on board to direct the film, which is set to land on May 6, 2022.