The death of Chadwick Boseman left a hole in the world and big questions for the Marvel brain trust. What should the future of Black Panther look like without Boseman, and should another actor play T’Challa? Boseman’s brother has some interesting thoughts.
To Cast Or Not To Recast?
Fans of Black Panther are torn over the future of the franchise. With Disney hard at work on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, rumors abound that T’Challa will be hastily killed off so another character could become Black Panther.
The obvious candidate is T’Challa’s younger sister Shuri, played by Letitia Wright. We know that Shuri will have a bigger role because of Boseman’s death, but her actual story remains a mystery.
Wright May Be Done
The future looks dire, however, because Wright is a pariah among fans. She’s an unabashed anti-vaxxer, and rumors swirled that she was spreading anti-vax sentiments on set. That rumor went so far as to say she was quitting Marvel altogether, but now it looks like she’s just taking time away from the set to nurse an injury. Wright has denied spreading anti-vax sentiments on set.
Hashtag Recast T’Challa
Amidst the Wright drama, fans have started clamoring for a total shake-up. The hashtag “RecastTChalla” has gained traction, with many pointing out that all the Wright drama could have been avoided. Recasting Boseman is not a decision to be made lightly, and it’s understandable that Disney would want to honor his memory by retiring the character.
Boseman’s brother Derrick Boseman spoke to TMZ about the prospect of recasting the king of Wakanda, He says Chadwick would have wanted the character to persist because it was bigger than just one man. Derrick highlighted the power a Black king on the big screen has.
Black Panther was more than just a Marvel movie, and more than just a Best Picture nominee: it was a cultural moment. Derrick pointed out that seeing T’Challa on the big screen made a huge impact on African American children. Ousting T’Challa would do more harm than good.
Extremely Unlikely
Derrick makes several good points, but it’s all probably too late. Unlike DC, Marvel isn’t known for huge sweeping reshoots that drastically alter the plot of its films. It’s in the midst of handing reigns of popular characters like Captain America, Black Widow, and Hawkeye to younger actors. Since Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is well into production, recasting T’Challa would already need to have happened. One thing’s for sure, the movie won’t be the same without Boseman.