Chadwick Boseman, whose profile in Hollywood was growing prior to his acclaimed appearances in Captain America: Civil War and Black Panther, established his global stardom through the Black Panther film. With momentum building toward significant awards recognition, Boseman’s future in the industry appeared extremely bright. However, in 2020, he died following a private battle with cancer, leaving the entertainment world and fans everywhere stunned. Marvel Studios was suddenly faced with the challenge of creating a new direction for the Ryan Coogler Black Panther sequel without its lead star, who had brought T’Challa to life and made the character iconic in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Rather than recast Boseman’s role, Marvel decided to have T’Challa die off-screen, leading to Letitia Wright’s Shuri assuming the mantle of Black Panther in 2022’s Wakanda Forever. The film situated Shuri as the kingdom’s new protector, with her journey continuing into Avengers: Doomsday. Eventually, the Black Panther legacy is expected to be passed on to T’Challa’s young son, Toussaint, also known as T’Challa II, maintaining the ongoing importance of this hero within the franchise.
Ryan Coogler Reflects on Boseman and the Unfinished Sequel
Speaking on the Happy Sad Confused podcast hosted by Josh Horowitz, director Ryan Coogler shared poignant insights about his friendship and collaboration with Boseman. Coogler recounted how the original script for the second Black Panther film was developed with Boseman in mind, but the actor was too ill to even read it. Reflecting on their creative and personal bond, Coogler opened up about the deep mutual respect and protection present in their relationship, as well as the sense of loss he felt following Boseman’s death.
“I finished it, and I hit him up to read it. He was too sick to read it, bro. That was kind of how the timing was. He was at a place where it wasn’t gonna happen. Our relationship was really interesting. He meant a lot to me. I found out after his passing from his family and from his friends how much I meant to him. I wondered if he knew just how much he meant to me. He protected me from a lot, bro. Our relationship was one of a lot of protection, you know?”
– Ryan Coogler, Filmmaker
During times of uncertainty on set, Coogler admitted to feeling doubtful about his role as director, recalling tense moments when pressure mounted and he feared for his position on the production.
“I was convinced on the toughest days on Panther that I was going to get fired. I would say it all the time. If the actors [were] taking their time to get out of makeup, I’m like, ‘Yo, you got to hurry up, or they’re going to fire me.’ One day, he took me to the side and was like, ‘Yo, stop saying that.’ I was like, ‘Man, I really feel that way.’ He was like, ‘Look at me, bro. I would never let that happen to you. I would not let that happen to you.’ Looking back, he was always protecting me.”
– Ryan Coogler, Filmmaker
The director emphasized the profound effect Boseman’s illness and passing had on him, revealing the emotional weight tied to their last collaboration and the vision for what could have been.
“One of the strongest people was having his strength taken from him by this disease. It damaged me, bro. Probably irreparably, to be honest with you. But I love that script. I put so much into that version of the movie. I felt like I had gotten to know Chadwick as a performer. I threw a lot at Chad in the first Panther, but I realised I was just scratching the surface. Now I know what he can do. I’m going to push him to the limit.”
– Ryan Coogler, Filmmaker
Unveiling the Original Black Panther 2 Story and the ‘Ritual of Eight’
When prompted about specific sequences he’d been eager to direct, Coogler described the ambitious arc at the center of his original script. The focus of the film would have been a deeply personal story between T’Challa and his son, with their relationship tested by tradition and outside threats. The movie was planned as an intense exploration of fatherhood, legacy, and challenge, as seen in the central narrative device called the ‘Ritual of Eight.’
“It was like a 180-page draft chock-full of them. The big thing about the script was this thing called the ‘Ritual of Eight,’ where when a prince is eight years old, he has to go spend eight days in the bush with his father and amongst them, and amongst those eight days, they have to go into the bush without any tools. The prince has to listen to everything that’s asked of him by his father. But the rule is that for those eight days, the prince can ask the father any question, and the father has to answer.”
– Ryan Coogler, Filmmaker
This journey was to become even more perilous when Namor, an incredibly formidable adversary, launched an assault during the ritual. As T’Challa faced negotiations and battles, his son remained constantly at his side, requiring him to honor both the ritual and protect their bond.
“During the course of those eight days, Namor launches an attack. He had to deal with somebody who was like insanely dangerous, but because of this ritual, his son had to be like joined at his hip the whole time. He was engaging in negotiations, fights, and his son had to be right there, or he’d have to violate this ritual, which had never been broken. That was what the movie was. [With Black Panther: Wakanda Forever], I got a chance to make a movie about women. I love that movie so much.”
– Ryan Coogler, Filmmaker
This vision for the Ryan Coogler Black Panther sequel would have carried T’Challa and his son through a rite of passage that tested their relationship under extreme duress, against a backdrop of cultural tradition and the undoing force of a superpowered attack.
The Impact of Wakanda Forever and Looking to the Future
Although Black Panther: Wakanda Forever took a different direction, focusing on Shuri and the women of Wakanda, it was well-received, earning more than $859 million globally and gathering praise for its performances and its handling of loss. The film succeeded in celebrating Boseman’s legacy and pushing the story into new territory, reinforcing characters like Shuri while laying the groundwork for future narratives within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Boseman’s enduring influence continues to shape the Black Panther mythos, as Marvel Studios hints at further stories involving T’Challa’s son, Toussaint, as well as potential alternative versions of T’Challa. The franchise remains committed to honoring the foundation Boseman built while evolving the saga with new heroes and stories, ensuring that Black Panther remains central to the universe’s future chapters.
